WebProNews

Tag: Japan

  • Megamouth Shark: Rarest Shark in the World Hooked

    A “rare and mysterious” megamouth shark — and what a mouth it is — was caught from the depths of the ocean off the Shizuoka coast of Japan.

    A gathering of over 1500 Japanese watched as the “rarest shark in the world” was dissected.

    According to Japanese Daily Press, “The Marine Science Museum in Shizuoka, Japan dissected the animal caught for further study with more than a thousand onlookers, curious to see the insides of the giant creature.”

    After the dissection, the megamouth’s remains were made available for public display at the museum.

    This species of shark is very rare and was only discovered some 30 years ago.

    According to Discovery, “The Megamouth shark is one of the most rare and most mysterious members of the shark family. Only 22 specimens have ever been reported since it was first captured and described in 1976 and many details of its life are as yet unknown. Megamouths are the third known species of planktonivorous shark, alongside the whale shark and basking shark.”

    The creature owes its name to its head which is way out of proportion from the rest of its body and can measure up to 18 feet in length.

    Megamouth sharks — Megachasma pelages — are not man-eaters. Instead, they feed on plankton, shrimp and jellyfish via a filter in the gigantic mouth. They come from the Lamniformes order of sharks commonly known as mackerel sharks, which includes the great white shark.

    According to JDP, the 13-foot-long shark was hauled in from depth of 2600 feet and weighed 1500 pounds.

    Found in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, there have apparently been 100 sightings of the megamouth shark off the coast of Japan.

    One has to wonder if any part of the shark made it onto a sushi platter.

    Image via YouTube

  • Tokyo Earthquake Doesn’t Cause Much Trouble, Rattles John Mayer

    Tokyo earthquakes aren’t all that uncommon. In fact, the entire region is somewhat unstable thanks to the geological makeup of the islands. It’s still unsettling to feel the earth rumble, especially since the wounds from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake still haven’t healed.

    Reuters is reporting that Tokyo and surrounding regions was hit by an earthquake early Monday morning. The quake was said to have hit 6.2 magnitude on the Richter scale and had an epicenter 160 km below the ocean. Thankfully, no damage has been reported and everything, including nuclear power plants, are operating smoothly.

    Even if it caused no damage, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake is nothing to scoff at. It’s still easily felt and those living in and visiting Tokyo certainly felt it. It’s not uncommon to see celebrities in Japan and singer John Mayer was tweeting about it today. He said it was the biggest he’s ever felt while staying in the country.

    A more somber note came from Nintendo of America’s Bill Trinen who says today’s earthquake shared an epicenter with the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

    For those unaware, the Great Kanto Earthquake was the worst earthquake in Japanese history up until 2011. A total of 105,385 people died with many perishing in the fires that erupted in the aftermath. While Monday’s earthquake was nowhere even close to the one that struck the Kanto region in 1923, it still rattles the nerves to think that something like that could happen again so soon after the events of 2011. After all, Japan is still hurting after an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and crippled the nuclear reactor in Fukushima.

    While some were worried or reflecting on the past, others found humor:

    The last time Tokyo was hit by an earthquake was in December of last year. The earthquake was recorded at 5.5 magnitude so one could surmise that they’re only getting stronger. We can only hope that Tokyo and Japan as a whole gets a break. After what happened in 2011 and the years since, they’ve earned it.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ronald McDonald Gets a New, Hip Look

    Ronald McDonald Gets a New, Hip Look

    McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain unveiled a revamped, more modern rendering of their primary clown-mascot Ronald McDonald, and explained that the character will be “setting out on a global mission to rally the public through inspiring events.”

    The new Ronald now sports cargo pants, a sort of outdoors/adventure-inspired technical vest with many zippers, and a rugby shirt. The new gear is intended to help pull Ronald out of his fantasy realm of McDonaldland and into the domain of social media.

    While the new Ronald doesn’t yet have his own Twitter account, McDonald’s will promote the hashtag #RonaldMcDonald, for the time being. McDonald’s spokesperson Becca Hary commented that the company “felt it was time to evolve his look for his debut into social media.”

    Ronald McDonald, “the Hamburger-Happy Clown” was invented by former Today host Willard Scott in 1959, though McDonald’s doesn’t acknowledge the media personality’s involvement in creating the mascot. Along with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird and The Fry Kids, Ronald McDonald has gained worldwide recognition. In Japan, Ronald is called Donald McDonald due to a lack of a clear “r” sound in Japanese, and there are also “sexy” male and female versions of the clown in that country.

    At any given time, McDonald’s employs hundreds of full-time actors to portray the burger-happy clown, to make appearances in franchise locations, Ronald McDonald Houses and various events. Ronald McDonald mimes have been known to go off the rails here and there, adding to a global collective perception that clowns are unnerving.

    Here is a series of Japanese McDonald’s commercials featuring Ronald:

    Aside from the new tech-vest, Ronald can also don a jacket and bowtie for select appearances:

    McRib enthusiasts are torn over Ronald’s new look:

    Regarding Ronald’s makeover and hashtag launch, Hary commented, “We’ve been pleased with the reaction Ronald has received in the media with his new debut. He’s an important part of pop culture and enjoys being part of the conversation.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Masahiro Tanaka Dominating MLB Hitters

    In the 2013-14 Major League Baseball offseason, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, a Japanese major league baseball team, listed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka as an available player to the MLB postings at a fee of $20 million. Shortly following the listing, MLB teams came clamoring to Tanaka, longing to sign the Japanese ace to their team. The early frontrunners were the Yankees and the Cubs, with the Bronx Bombers eventually signing Tanaka to a 7-year, $155 million deal.

    On Wednesday, Tanaka made his third major league start by squaring-off against his former suitors, the Chicago Cubs. By the end of the first game of Wednesday’s double-header, the entire Cubs line-up vehemently wished their club would have put up more money to acquire Tanaka, especially considering his stat-line Wednesday placed Tanaka in the MLB record books.

    8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 10 Ks.

    While one may dismiss Tanaka’s performance due to the ability of the competing team, these numbers are not a fluke. Over his first three games, Tanaka has struck out 28 batters while walking only two. His efficiency is devastating, and it is led by his sickeningly-good split-fingered fastball.

    In his three games thus far, Tanaka has thrown the splitter 24 percent of the time. The average speed of his splitter is 87 mph, coming in only 4.6 mph slower than his average fastball speed – this margin being the closest of any MLB who uses the splitter with any frequency.

    What makes his splitter even more devastating, however, is how far it drops while coming through the strike zone. As Tanaka’s splitter travels toward the plate, it drops vertically at a rate of 17 feet per second. In comparison, Tanaka’s fastball drops at 11.6 feet per second as it travels from the mound to the hitting box. This 5.4 feet per second differential in vertical drop places Tanaka second in the league, only behind Tim Hudson.

    Tanaka’s fellow Yankee Carlos Beltran, who is on pace for early MVP honors, describes what batters are facing as they stand in the box across from Tanaka: “It’s at your knees and a lot of guys think it’s a fastball, and all of a sudden the ball drops because it’s a splitter and it’s 87-88 [mph]. It’s not like it’s 82 or 83, where you have time to recognize it. In your mind, you’re thinking fastball, so you swing.’’

    The data supports Beltran’s assessment. Batters swing at Tanaka’s splitter 65 percent of the time, with more than half of those swings being whiffs. Even if the batters make contact, 72 percent of the balls put in play against the splitter wind-up as ground-ball outs.

    Perhaps Cubs manager Rick Renteria said it best when he tried to downplay Tanaka’s dominant performance against his struggling Cubbies: “His split-finger fastball, when it’s down, is pretty good. He can elevate his fastball a little bit. He’s pretty good.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Google Hits Japanese Link Networks

    Google Hits Japanese Link Networks

    Google’s head of webspam tweeted early Tuesday morning that Google has taken action on seven Japanese link networks over the past few months.

    He’s proud of the team:

    This revelation follows other announcements made by Cutts in recent months, which have seen Google on the warpath with link networks, mostly in Europe. Last month, Cutts mentioned taking action on a couple of German networks.

    Back in January, Google took action on French network Buzzea, which was followed by action against networks in Germany, Poland, and then warned Spanish and Italian networks.

    In addition to all of this, of course, has been Google’s attack on guest blogging, with notable guest blog network MyBlogGuest getting famously penalized. .

    Image via YouTube

  • Yelp Launches In Japan, Expands Platform To Spas & Salons

    Continuing its ongoing international expansion, Yelp announced that it has now launched in Japan. This is the company’s 26th country, following a Mexico launch last month.

    Yelp’s efforts in Japan will begin in Toyko and Osaka. The site is available at Yelp.co.jp, or people in Japan can use the mobile app.

    “With over 126 million people, Japan is the tenth most populated country on the planet, and economically speaking, it’s no shrinking cherry blossom,” says Yelp VP of New Markets Miriam Warren.

    Yelp also announced an expansion of the Yelp Platform, initially launched last year for food ordering and delivery. It now supports spas and salons. A select number of them are already utilizing the platform for booking appointments, but Yelp says it will continue to roll out the functionality of the coming weeks.

    Yelp product manager Partha Sundaram writes, “Been dying to try out a Jared Leto-esque ombre or treat your better half to a pamper sesh? Now you can head to Yelp to find just the place, then schedule your appointment directly from a Booker supported spa or salon (like Yelo in New York). Not only can you book directly from your computer or Yelp’s mobile apps, you can choose to save your payment details so you won’t have to enter them again for the billionth time.”

    The company says it will continue to add new categories and partners to the platform so users can “transact directly on Yelp” with more businesses.

    Image via Yelp

  • Volcanic Island Niijima Merges With Neighboring Island

    Volcanic Island Niijima Merges With Neighboring Island

    A volcanic island on the coast of Japan, Niijima Island, has said to have swallowed a part of a neighboring island. NASA has recorded Niijima’s continuous eruptions, and photos from the Operational Lang Imager on Landsat 8 showed a stream of smoke coming from the island, and it has overtaken its neighbor.

    Niijima, Japan’s newest island, is said to now have a size that is eight times bigger than when it first erupted from the waters. It erected from the waters of the Philippine Sea in November 2013.

    The neighboring island, called Nishino Shima or Rosaio Island, is said to have first emerged from the waters some 10,000 years ago. The island’s last recorded major eruption was about 40 years ago.

    Both the Niijima Island and the Nishino Shima Island are part of the Ogasawara Island Chain, which is located around 600 miles to the south of Tokyo. The chain is also a part of the “Ring of Fire” that consists of many volcanoes.

    From the pictures taken, the two islands have somehow merged and red seawater marks the area where they are connected.

    When the new island first emerged in November, Japanese scientists were not quite clear on how long the island would last. This is because in most cases, the small islets that emerge from eruptions are reclaimed by the ocean. In a new observation last month, scientists said that Niijima Island might survive for at least several years, according to its behavior. There is also a big possibility that the island remains permanently.

    Many observers who have seen the images of the merged island suggest that the shape looks just like the cartoon character Snoopy. One Twitter user said, “Exactly as Nostradamus predicted. A new Snoopy-shaped island rises from the sea near Tokyo.”

    Official images of the merged islands have been released by the Japanese Coast Guard.

    Two Islands Merge

    Image via YouTube

  • Emma Stone Promotes Spider-Man Film in Japan

    Emma Stone and her Amazing Spider-Man 2 co-stars Andrew Garfield and Jamie Foxx promoted the new film in Japan on Sunday.

    Stone wowed the crowd — and her boyfriend, Garfield — at the promotional event, in a short, chic black mini dress that featured a colorful bib. Garfield was a little more low-key donning tartan pants with a black sweatshirt and blue shirt. Foxx looked dashing in a pair of jeans and a plaid button-down shirt underneath a dark sweater.

    The trio shared the stage with two young Spider-Man fans who were dressed in costume. They also shot streams of Kabuki-style spider silks at the audience, and then at each other. Stone playfully arranged the webbing over Garfield’s face.

    The stars arrived in the eastern country the day before, some looking exhausted after their long flights. Stone appeared tired but still fresh-faced and fashionable in a black and white checked blouse, black pants, a gray cardigan, and a black beanie. She also arrived makeup-free.

    Her man also kept things casual. He arrived to the airport in black pants, a white T-shirt, and a gray cardigan. He looked deep in thought as he walked through, and had a five-o’clock shadow.

    Foxx trailed close behind Peter Parker, sporting a black windbreaker and athletic pants. He also donned the cutest accessory ever, his daughter Annalise, who hung around the actor’s waist.

    Spider-Man is quite popular in Japan and the film is expected to do quite well there when it is released internationally next month.

    Garfield revealed recently one of the reasons why he is so good at player the superhero.

    ‘It’s a miracle that I ever make it on stage or in front of a camera,” Garfield stated in an interview. “I get riddled with self doubt, but so does Peter Parker. That’s the reason why I adored him. Here’s a kid who feels like me and yet manages to drag himself into that spandex. He makes sure he gives everything he has.”

    Image via Spider-Man, Twitter

  • Japan Diaper Shortage: The Bizarre Explanation

    The words “diaper shortage” may lead some to scratch their heads when paired with Japan. After all, Japan’s low birthrates are practically notorious at this point.

    It’s well understood that the current generation is hardly concerned with keeping the population growing.

    Is the report of a diaper shortage due to a sudden baby boom that no one saw coming? No, not at all.

    The diaper shortage can be blamed on two seemingly unrelated factors: A sales tax hike…and China.

    The Japanese sales tax climbed from five percent to eight percent as the adjustment went into effect today. Japanese consumers had gone on a major spending spree ahead of the tax hike. Demand was high for items ranging from cigarettes to luxury cars.

    Buyers were eager to get their hands on products that were a few days away from becoming more expensive.

    Such a surge in sales occurred the last time Japan raised its sales tax. The difference is that once the fervor halted in 1997, the urge to spend went with it.

    Analysts are looking to determine whether or not history will repeat itself.

    Where do Japanese diapers fit into this examination? It turns out that the mad dash for the infant necessity wasn’t made by native Japanese citizens, but by consumers from China.

    The quality of Japan-made goods has made a strong impression on affluent Chinese shoppers. With the new sales tax firmly in place, it’s possible that the Japanese economy may find a greater deal of support from abroad than what occurred nearly two decades ago.

    Having consumers from outside the country could soften the economic blow of Japanese shoppers closing their wallets. It could also go a long way towards avoiding an Asian financial crisis similar to what hit in the late 1990s.

    This may be of little comfort of Japanese diaper companies.

    The tax hike, rising fuel costs, and growing manufacturing expenses mean that for certain companies, selling out their diapers means nothing. They’ll be lucky to break even.

    An Osaka-based diaper broker was particularly gloomy of the outlook. He said, “This business used to be profitable.”

    Image via YouTube

  • NM4 Vultus Motorcycle Unveiled by Honda

    Friday at the 30th annual Osaka Motorcycle Show, Honda unveiled its new NM4 Vultus motorcycle, which features “Front Massive Styling.” The rider sits toward the rear of the bike, more like one would on a scooter, though the Vultus has the power of a standard “crotch rocket,” with its 745cc parallel-twin-powered engine.

    The NM4 was designed to be practical in urban environments, and the rider steers via pullback handlebars, allowing the front end of the bike to contain the engine, fuel and storage space. Vultus, which means “face” in Latin, alludes to the aggressive Front Massive Styling of the motorcycle-scooter.

    honda

    The NM4 Vultus features LED lights, future-proof shock absorbers and a low center of gravity, with its engine-forward design. Honda states that the NM4 Vultus’ engine has strong low and mid-range power and torque which facilitates smooth acceleration.

    honda

    Check out a clip of the NM4 Vultus at the 2014 Osaka Motorcycle Show:

    According to the Vultus press release from Honda, the design was inspired by anime and Japanese film. Keita Mikura, Large Project Leader for NM4 Vultus commented, “Honda is a big company. We make every kind of motorcycle. It’s great that sometimes we make a certain machine simply because we can and because we want to, not because we “should”. The NM4 Vultus exists because of a passion from deep within our company. We wanted to create something special, not just in the two-wheeled world, but truly unique in the whole world – a machine that engages a human soul like no other. Our intention was to make something that makes every moment feel cinematic, and we want riding it to be an event – guaranteed – every single time.”

    Vultus fans took to Twitter:

    Image via YouTube

  • Malaysian Airlines: Chinese Satellite Spots Object

    Another image of debris has been picked up by a Chinese satellite on Saturday, giving new hope for possible answers to the near three-week missing Malaysian flight MH370.

    The image is in close proximity to the other satellite images found by an Australian satellite earlier this week, in the remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean, a vast expanse of deep and endless water.

    China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense said on its website that a Chinese satellite took an image of an object 22 meters (72 feet) by 13 meters (43 feet) around noon Tuesday. The image location was about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of where two other objects were discovered.

    “The news that I just received is that the Chinese ambassador received a satellite image of a floating object in the southern corridor and they will be sending ships to verify,” Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters Saturday said.

    The latest image seems to be just another clue in the mysterious and futile search for the Boeing 777, which went missing March 8 less than an hour after leaving Kuala Lumpur heading to Beijing with 239 people on board.

    After about a week of confusion, and many suspicious officials withholding information, authorities said pings sent by the aircraft for several hours after it disappeared from radar left officials to strongly assume that the plane ended up in one of two huge arcs: a northern area stretching from Malaysia up to Central Asia, and a southern area that stretches in an arch toward Antarctica.

    The objects are extremely difficult to locate and many search teams have been involved in the effort to locate them, however, the weather and vastness of that area of ocean is making it difficult.

    Search aircraft are flying from Perth, AU, to the site, which is nearly 1500 miles to the suspected site, and with limited fuel and visibility for searching, they have found nothing.

    The efforts are being reinforced as two military planes from China arrived Saturday in Perth to join Australian, New Zealand and U.S. aircraft in the search. Japanese planes will arrive Sunday and ships are already in the area or on their way.

    Many experts feel that the search should continue on land as well, because even if both satellites detected the same object, it may be unrelated to the plane.

    Image via YouTube

  • Japan Earthquake: 6.3-Magnitude Hits Three Main Islands

    Fourteen injuries were reported Friday following an earthquake that struck the south coast of Japan.

    The quake occurred a little after 2 a.m. in the Iyonada inland sea that separates the country’s main islands, including Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

    It was reportedly at a depth of 80 kilometers, but experts say that the earthquake could have reached 700 kilometers.

    The U.S. Geological Survey explained on their site what possibly caused the quake:

    Subduction zones at the Japanese island arcs are geologically complex and produce numerous earthquakes from multiple sources. Deformation of the overriding plates generates shallow crustal earthquakes, whereas slip at the interface of the plates generates interplate earthquakes that extend from near the base of the trench to depths of 40 to 60 km.

    The injuries that people incurred from the natural disaster were reportedly minor.

    According to the Japan Daily Press:

    Firefighters in Okayama City said that a 70-year-old woman and two other residents sustained minor injuries while in Tamano, still in Okayama Prefecture, a 1-month-old infant was injured when his mother accidentally dropped him while trying to seek refuge. Hiroshima Prefecture also reported six minor injuries, and several more injuries were sustained by people in Hofu and Shimanto.

    There were also no signs of tsunami threats, major damages, or reported casualties.

    The news company also said, “an Upper-5 intensity was registered in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture while lower-5 was detected in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Sukumo, Kochi Prefecture, and Usuki, Oita Prefecture.”

    Additionally, the agency says that they expect four aftershocks to take place within the next few weeks.

    Japan has experienced three major earthquakes since 1933. One of those includes the 2011 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Tohoku, better known as 3/11.

    Coincidently, Japan just commemorated the three-year anniversary of the tragic event on Tuesday, which caused a 30-foot tsunami and a nuclear radiation safety issue.

    The nuclear disaster killed 15,884 people and 2,636 victims were never found following the disaster.

    Tohoku officials have said that they are still gradually rebuilding the area since then.

    Here is a report by the Associated Press about 3/11: 

    Image via YouTube

  • California Earthquake: A Bullet Dodged, but Threat Remains

    The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Eureka, California on Sunday may be over, but scientists say that Northern California will remain under threat for many years to come. The Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest continues to be a hot spot of geological activity, and may some day cause great damage to the region.

    Sunday wasn’t the first time a sizable earthquake erupted out of Cascadia. Three hundred years ago, according to a report by the United States Geological Survey, a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami tore through the pacific, causing damage from the American Pacific Northwest to Japan. The worst part is, it could easily happen again.

    According to a 2013 report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if a 9.0 earthquake struck the Pacific Northwest today, the event could result in over 10,000 deaths and 70 billion dollars of losses. Infrastructure would be devastated and countless people would be forced to become refugees.

    “Katrina was a worst case scenario for hurricanes in the gulf. And a Cascadia would be the worst case scenario for tsunamis on the West Coast,” Paul Whitmore, director of the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, told the LA Times. Municipalities across the area continue to prepare for the inevitable danger by creating shelters, safe havens, and vertical evacuation centers out of existing buildings.

    “We dodged a bullet,” Lt. Steve Knight of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office told the Times-Standard, “This very easily could have been a catastrophe that could have caused a lot of damage.” It will remain to be seen if the 6.9 earthquake of Sunday will serve as a wake up call for emergency management services in the area. Earthquakes continue to erupt from the Cascadia subduction zone, including a 5.2 earthquake 212 kilometers West South West of Gold Beach, Oregon, according to the U.S.G.S. No earthquakes larger than Sunday’s 6.9 earthquake have been yet reported.

    Image via United States Geological Survey

  • California Earthquake And Japan’s 3 Year Anniversary

    So, California had an earthquake Sunday.

    Earthquakes aren’t really “news” for the Golden State. They’re just a natural event that happens because these huge slabs (called tectonic plates) of rock below our feet are constantly playing a game like Jenga, where sometimes the edges slip and crack. That sends off these waves we occasionally end up feeling. California just happens to sit on top of one of those places (called fault lines) where that sort of activity is more likely. Although the results of quakes can be pretty devastating, other times we feel nothing at all. In fact, everyday, across the planet, little ones transpire and we’re blissfully unaware of them when they do.

    As for this weekend’s events, everything turned out pretty well.

    It was a casualty free episode, nobody was hurt, and the power even remained on in the 100 year old house of resident Rachel Maytorena, who lives a mile off the coast, near Eureka.

    “It just kept going and going, very slowly and softly. It was not violent. It almost felt like you were in a boat that was rocking,” Maytorena described.

    “The animals, they felt it,” she said, adding that they “were ready to get out of the house.”

    Indeed, animals are pretty sensitive to earthquakes – not just while they’re happening but beforehand. While our best seismology technology is constantly advancing, it still falls short of effectively determining when and if a quake will happen. But you know what can? The common toad can!

    Yep, Bufo bufo (which sounds far more majestic than “common toad” doesn’t it?) is reportedly able to predict imminent quakes by picking up seismic activity as much as five days in advance of a quake, from over 40 miles away. Researchers believe that once they sense charged particles and noxious gases, they get the hell out of Dodge (or Eureka). That’s just a fun and useless fact for you to take into your day.

    You know why? Because we can’t help if earthquakes happen. So it’s better you leave your internet-news perusal with a few nuggets of pointless knowledge and inspiration versus worry. We can’t control a quake, but some stuff we can do includes:

    1. Moving somewhere they’re less likely to happen.
    2. Taking up residence with a colony of toads so you can reserve your fight or flight response for when the leader gives the signal to abandon ship.
    3. Using your skills (that’s the “inspiration” part – did it work?) to help battle the nasty aftermath when a really powerful one hits.

    It’s helpful to know when things like this happen so we can make sure the people we love are alright, but Sunday’s quake resulted in no major damage, despite it’s magnitude, so the fear mongering is unnecessary.

    However, its proximity to today’s 3 year anniversary of still-recovering Japan’s quake and tsunami reminds us that far larger disasters do happen.

    What’s more, we can help following these events beyond merely sharing emotional footage. When we see a giant wave wreak havoc and carry off homes and cars like bathtoys, we can let that stirring in our tummies spur us into action. From hardcore volunteering like Erika Jenson does – to donating books to children whose families lost everything or just a small monetary offering, we all possess something that can help.

    And after any natural happening over which we have no power, the power we do have – to alleviate someone’s suffering – is pretty much awesome.

    Healing thoughts go out to Japan and its people as they recover.

    Image via Youtube

  • Misao Okawa, World’s Oldest Woman, Turns 116

    Misao Okawa, World’s Oldest Woman, Turns 116

    Misao Okawa, from Osaka, Japan, is believed to be the world’s oldest woman, and she celebrated her 116th birthday on March 5th, 2014.

    To celebrate the event, Okawa wore a pink kimono covered in cherry blossoms, along with a blue cardigan, and a red flower in her hair. A special white cake, decorated with strawberries and candles, was prepared for her special day.

    Okawa, born on March 5th, 1898, credits her longevity to a healthy diet, complete with sushi, and plenty of sleep. “Eat and sleep and you will live a long time. You have to learn to relax,” she explained to The Telegraph.

    Misao has lived in the Kurenai retirement home for the last 18 years. Tomohito Okada, the head of the home, says that Misao maintains a healthy diet and gets at least eight hours of sleep per night. “Mrs Okawa eats three large meals a day and makes sure that she sleeps eight hours a night,” said Tomohito. “She insists that her favourite meal is sushi, particularly mackerel on vinegar-steamed rice, and she has it at least once every month.” Misao became the oldest living person after the death of 116-year-old Jireomon Kimura in 2013.

    Reporters got a chance to talk to Misao, and asked her what the happiest moments of her life were. She explained that her marriage to her late husband and the birth of her three children were the highlights of her life. She said the saddest moment was the death of her husband in 1931.

    Okada explained the preparations for Misao’s party, revealing that they would not be using 116 candles because that would be dangerous. Rather, they used three candles for each number of her age. “We will be having a cake, of course,” said Okada. “But we will only be having three candles, one for each figure of her 116 years, because that many candles could be dangerous.”

    Misao has two surviving children, who have clearly inherited her genes, that are now 94 and 92. She also has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

    Image via Guinessworldrecords.com

  • Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    Hulu Sells Off Japan Business To Nippon TV

    In 2011, Hulu finally went international with its launch in Japan. Its Japanese branch was doing pretty for itself as well with last quarter’s financial results revealing that it had doubled its subscribers in the region since the beginning of 2013. Despite its successes, Hulu is getting rid of it.

    Hulu announced today that it will be selling its Japanese business to Nippon TV for an undisclosed sum. There’s no particular reason given for the sale, but it’s strongly hinted that Nippon TV offered Hulu a deal it couldn’t refuse.

    “Hulu launched in Japan less than three years ago, a first-of-its-kind subscription video on demand service in the market which has grown to 50 content partners, offering users more than 13,000 assets of TV dramas and movies across 90 million devices,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “We are very proud to have created a service that Nippon TV, the broadcast leader in Japan, sees as a strong asset.”

    It certainly makes a lot of sense for Nippon TV to take over Hulu Japan’s operations. It lets Hulu continue to exclusively focus on the U.S. market while Nippon TV gains an established foothold in the still growing digital content market of Japan.

    “In addition to terrestrial broadcasting and BS/CS broadcasting, Nippon TV is looking forward to succeeding Hulu’s business as a new path to deliver content through the Internet,” said Yoshio Okubo, President, Nippon TV. “Hulu’s sophisticated brand, wide content line-up, and its outstanding technology are very attractive. We feel a big potential in the brand and service Hulu has created.”

    Interestingly enough, Nippon TV won’t be changing Hulu Japan in any way as it has also licensed the Hulu name and its technology. In other words, Hulu Japan will still be around under its new owner. In even better news for Japanese subscribers, Hulu Japan will also be getting Nippon TV content in the near future.

    With this sale, Hulu is back to operating primarily in the United States. It will be interesting to see if it tries its hand at expansion again, or if it will just stick with its primary market. With competitors like Netflix expanding into Europe, however, Hulu might not be able to sit around if it wants to compete.

    Image via Hulu Japan

  • Anne Frank Literature: 265 Books Destroyed in Tokyo

    Since January, a vandal has been making the rounds, ripping pages out of Anne Frank books in libraries across Tokyo, Japan.

    Police investigators have counted a total of 265 damaged books.

    One of the most renowned, historical books of the Holocaust victim includes The Diary of a Young Girl, which details a firsthand account of Anne Frank’s experience.

    Evidence has shown that dozen of pages were ripped out of the book. Investigators believe that the books may have been searched in the librarian database.

    One library has now relocated their copies in a safe area behind the counter of the checkout area.

    There is reportedly no motive behind the vandalism, or is there?(image)

    The Associated Press implied that the former relationship between Germany and Japan could be the reason why the “paper-reaper” is targeting Anne Frank literature.

    Japan and Nazi Germany were allies in World War II, and though Holocaust denial has occurred in Japan at times, the motive for damaging the Anne Frank books is unclear. 

    According to BBC News, Japan has no history of anti-Semitism. Associate Dean Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which is a Jewish rights organization, believes otherwise.

    “The geographic scope of these incidents strongly suggest an organized effort to denigrate the memory of the most famous of the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis in the World War Two Holocaust,” he told BBC.

    Literature about Anne Frank has been popular among the Japanese community for years. Historians from Israel have confirmed that young adults in Japan are more receptive towards the Anne Frank story than any other age group.

    The The Diary of a Young Girl was first translated in 1952 and became a bestseller in Japan a year later. The country reportedly ranks second to the United States the number of copies sold.

    Images via YouTube

  • Here’s A Look At Over 20 Upcoming PS4 Games

    With the PS4 launching in Japan today, Sony has been busy in its home territory with launch parties, trailers and a bunch of celebratory videos. Capcom has already shared a new Deep Down trailer to coincide with the Japanese launch of the PS4, and now Sony has a number of videos showing some of the games coming to the system.

    To coincide with the PS4 launch, Sony has shared three videos that detail some of the upcoming titles hitting the PS4 in the next few years. Since this is for the Japanese launch, some of the games shown are titles that launched with the console in North America and Europe in late 2013.

    Beyond those titles, there are some quick looks at titles that have yet to launch in any territory. Most of these titles are those coming from Japanese developers and publishers, like Square Enix and Konami. It also provides a look at some titles that are going to remain exclusive to Japan unless some localization magic happens, like Yakuza Ishin and Dreamclub.

    While we’re at it, here’s the Japanese PS4 launch trailer complete with DualShock 4 sword fights:

    Image via PlayStation Japan/YouTube

  • Fukushima Radiation to Reach U.S. Coast This Year

    The day the tsunamis hit Japan, which would eventually cause the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, will remain etched into my brain for a long time. I was frantically woken up by my mother on March 11, 2011; she ushered me to the television, where I saw footage of the damage that made my heart leap into my throat. I hurried to school and entered the classroom where I had been a part of a Japanese language program for three years at the time. In this room, I found my teacher, a man who had spent twelve years of his time in the area of Japan that was most heavily hit, as well as our three exchange students, one of which whose hometown was in the hard hit area, in tears. I, as well as many other students, joined them.

    Over the next few weeks, our program worked to raise money for the Red Cross and other benefits, and we provided as best a support net for our exchange students and teacher as we could. The event was tragic, terrifying, and unforgettable; this point is proven, once more, by the fear it is continuing to strike into the hearts of many as concerns of nuclear radiation begin to make themselves well known.

    Residents of Japan have been experiencing the effects of nuclear radiation from the plant since the beginning, and clean up efforts have been doing their best to contain the problem and keep people healthy. Now, fear is rising among U.S. citizens as the radiation that leaked into the ocean shortly after the meltdown makes its way to the West coast.

    This impending event has been a cause of concern among many residents near the coast, including those in the San Francisco Bay area, who passed a resolution back in December that would require more regulation and testing of local seafood. However, officials say that such worries are uncalled for, since there is already radiation present in the ocean.

    These reassurances have not been helpful to residents, however, who are still very fearful about the effects that may come with the radiation. They are not alone; Korea has ceased imports of fish from Japan’s Northern Pacific coast out of fear of radiation, as well. It seems like everyone is on their toes when it comes to the fear of radiation.

    Whether or not the radiation proves harmful to the U.S., it is a concrete reminder of the unexpected tragedy that befell Japan in 2011, as well as grim evidence of how events that have long passed can prove harmful to so many people.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Scentee Wants To Make Your Phone Smell Like A Rose

    In May of last year, Japanese company ChatPerf introduced the Scentee – a smartphone accessory that shoots out puffs of scented vapor. It was a bizarre product, but the kind of product that some consumers would really go for. If you happen to like the idea of puffing strawberry vapor out of your phone, your dreams are now a reality.

    Electronista reports that Scentee is now being sold directly to Western countries directly through its Web site. It supports iOS 7 and Android 4.0 on the Galaxy SC-04E. The device plugs into your smartphone’s earphone jack and is controlled by an app that will emit scents on command, for notifications or even on a timer.

    So, how much is this thing? The Scentee can be yours for $35. For that price, you get the dongle, one scent cartridge, a micro USB charging cable and a mount. As for scents, you can buy coffee, lavender, rose, rosemary and strawberry cartridges for $5 each. Scentee says that cartridges last for about 100 sprays.

    Here’s a video from last year showing a prototype Scentee in action:

    Will the Scentee ever move beyond its current status as a curiosity? Well, it’s hard to think of any situation in which emitting scents would be absolutely vital to your everyday routine. What do I know though? Perhaps your day would be made infinitely better with a spray of rose every few hours. You might even set it up to spray out a scent every time your significant other texts you. It’s sweet and certainly appropriate given that Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us.

    Image via Scentee

  • Japan Dolphin Hunts Continue In Spite Of Criticism

    Japan has been hunting dolphins for centuries. Several documentaries have exposed these hunts and shown how cruel and violent they can be. Japan has been heavily criticized for their hunts and many petitions have been created to stop them.

    In spite of the criticism, Japan is defending the hunts and even calling them a tradition. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga insists that the hunts are done within the accordance of law and claims that the Japanese hunters are not doing anything wrong.

    “Dolphin fishing is a form of traditional fishing in our country,” he said.

    Many people are not concerned with the fact that the Japanese continue to hunt dolphins, but more so with their hunting methods. Most dolphin hunts are drive hunts, which means a large number of boats will herd a group of dolphins into a cove and block them so they cannot escape.

    Not only are the dolphins terrified, but they are also killed in large numbers. The hunters will spear the dolphins and bring them onto their ships. Academy Award-winning 2009 film “The Cove” demonstrates the process.

    Dolphins that are not killed during the hunts are captured and sold into captivity. Paul Watson, founder of the conservation group Sea Shepherd, explained the hunts further saying,

    “The dolphins face a violent and stressful captive selection process. Babies and mothers will be torn from each other’s sides as some are taken for captivity, some are killed and others are driven out to sea to fend for themselves,”

    U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy is one of the many people who have expressed disgust for the hunts. She recently tweeted about her concern.

    Japan does not seem to show any signs of stopping the hunts or regulating them better anytime in the near future.

    Do you think Japan has a right to hunt dolphins or are they being inhumane?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.