Panasonic postpone the debut of Toughpad 4K.

From Panasonic website. Copyright Panasonic

I wrote an article about Toughpad 4k which a tablet is corresponding to 4K resolution the first time in the world. I thought we can see it this December but 3 days ago, Panasonic announced that it would postpone the release date to mid-February 2014. The price is still open and there is no change in that it is a product of corporate.

As the reason of postponement, Panasonic changed the design in some parts to ensure a stable spec of initially announced.

I really want to touch it and see the quality of the product. Please don't postpone anymore;-)

Thank you so much!

World's Cleanest Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)

Hi everyone. I am sorry that I can not update this blog often but I will try to keep this blog up as much as I can. So please visit this blog anytime.

Today, I would like to introduce about Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). This airport is actually awesome!

Haneda airport, Tokyo International Airport (Domestic passenger terminal 1 and 2, international passenger terminal) was awarded the prizes of the International Airport evaluation in Apr 2013. It was conducted by air services research company, SKYTRAX based in the United Kingdom.

"World's Best Domestic Airport"

Haneda Airport is the world's No.1 in the "World's Best Domestic Airport" category. It is a comprehensive evaluation of the domestic airport. Great access and great features of Haneda Airport Domestic Passenger Terminal was evaluated.

Washoku gets UNESCO heritage status!!!

"Washoku" has been determined to be registered with intangible cultural heritage United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)!

Basic of Wahoku is of rice, soup, side dishes, pickles. It is called "one soup three greens, Ichiju Sansai". Japanese people say "Itadakimasu" before they eat. This word is expressive of gratitude to the farmer and blessings of nature. And also, It represents the spirituality that the food culture in harmony with nature. But people in Japan head out for a meal now. It's a kind of hard to take over and make Washoku at home. 

The leaders to protect and inherit Washoku is all people in Japan. I hope people can teach how to make Washoku to kids. 

"We love Washoku!"

Thank you so much!

Do you know Dajare? What is Dajare? It makes you happy in a moment!

Hello, everyone! Long time no see? Sorry!

"Dajare (駄洒落（だじゃれ）)" is the pun in Japanese. It is a play on words that the meaning of two words or phrases are different, but a sound is very similar or the same. For example in English, "Hi, Jack!" (call name) and "Hijack" (Aircraft hijaking) will be a factor of Dajare.   

From 40's to 50's men in Japan loves to say Dajare so especially, young people called "Oyaji (means men of 40's to 50's) Gag" in Japan. There is a funny Oyaji Gag but most likely not funny. But sometimes the apathetic Dajare makes us laugh after a brief interval. 

Why does Oyaji generation say a lot of Dajare? Oyaji said, "It is a kind of difficult to communicate with young people without Dajare." According to the doctor of social psychology, "they would say Dajare because it is difficult to have a common topic with young people. Dajare makes Oyaji get close to the younger generation easily. In other words, Dajare is Oyaji's conversation skill to young people. 

But we should not underestimate Dajare. As described above, Dajare is to combine two different words or phrases by reason that sound similar. A brain scientist says, "Trying to combine unrelated words and phrases is so creative. People who say Dajare have a creative brain." 

There is also a company that decided to use Dajare as the official language in the office because Dajare has the potential to facilitate the communication. It has been scientifically proven. The company is Domino's Pizza Japan. The president of the Domino's Pizza Japan, Scott Orca has an enthusiasm for Dajare. Here is his message. 

I think they are still using Dajare in a meeting.  I hope they keep using Dajare to facilitate the communication in their office and they can make the creative brains.

Here is my Dajare in English!

"I ate eel and I got an ill"

It's not funny? That's a Dajare!:) But Does it make you laugh and happy a little bit? Please try to think your own Dajare and let me know your Dajare!! :) 

Thank you so much!

"Kirishima, he will quit his club."

桐島、部活やめるってよ(DVD2枚組)

I recently saw this movie in Japanese. This movie was available in 2012. It is a masterpiece of Japan Academy Award. It took best director, editing Award, Screenplay Award and an actor, Ms. Ai Hashimoto took the award too. It has a monopoly on the prize in the end and it has spread the reputation by word-of-mouth communication.

Kirishima is a very popular man in the high school. He is the center and a hero of the school. He can do everything. But Kirishima quit his club suddenly and he does not show up at the school. People lost the hero and this movie draws a panic in their life without the hero.

Hiroki is a friend of Kirishima. He is similar to Kirishima. He is also an all-rounder.  He is smart, can study, good for all kind of sports and popular among girls. After Kirishima had left the club, Hiroki lost his goal.

There is another person, Maeda (a boy in the picture). He loves movies. Maeda is taking the movie in the movie club at the school. He wants to take a zombie movie. His teacher said do not take the kind of movie at the school. But he takes it anyway. He is a kind of an Otaku boy. So he is not a friend of Kirishima and Hiroki. But Maeda will be involved in Kirishima's matter.

This movie is drawn from a first-person perspective. Like this time is Hiroki's view and the other time is Maeda's view and also some girls's view. They don't know what the others are thinking each other but you can know each person's thinking at the time and you can understand each person's feeling at the time. 

This movie is using a pretty amazing shooting technique. It got to take the same scene with multiple cameras in short, It is very complex. And the theme song by Yu Takahashi "The Sun Also Rises " is just cool. He is skinny guy but his voice is very powerful. I like it.
I want you to take a look this movie. However it is still in Japanese. I hope English version is released in the near future. You can see the trailer and listen the theme song on Youtube!

Thank you so much.

Where do you want to go before you die?

The art islands, Naoshima and Teshima in Kagawa prefecture in Japan.

8.66 million foreign travelers visits Japan in this year already. It is the best record over the years because of the issuance requirements relaxation of visa and yen depreciation trend. 

The destination of the foreign travelers in Japan is not only Kyoto or Tokyo. Actually, they are interested in "Naoshima" and "Teshima" which are the art islands in Seto Inland Sea. 

Naoshima was featured as "Place where you want to go before you die" in "Traveler" magazine of American Conde Nast Inc. 

Yayoi Kusama "Kabocha (Pumpkin)"
Photo by Shigeo Anzai

There is Teshima Island near Naoshima. Rei Naito's work called "Bokei (the shape of mother)" in the Teshima Art Museum is just great. Water springing out from everywhere in the floor, this work that the "fountain" is born throughout the day. 

Rei Naito "Bokei" in 2010
Photo by Noboru Morikawa

Rei Naito "Bokei" in 2010
Photo by Noboru Morikawa

This is the place where we want to go once before we die.

Thank you so much.

Japanese noodle, Soba is like a mirror of the mind

I watched a Japanese documentary TV show, "Professional" yesterday. It was a very interesting program. A soba chef, Kunihiro Takahashi was a great chef of soba (そば or 蕎麦). He is 68 years old. People call him "A God of Soba". 

Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour and it can refer to any thin noodle in Japan (unlike thick wheat noodles, known as udon). Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.  

In his case, he just served chilled soba with a dipping sauce. Because he said, "It is very simple menu so it shows my mind. Soba is like a mirror of the mind." 

He lives in the countryside of Hiroshima in Japan. His Soba restaurant is open only weekends and holidays. He teaches how to make Soba for his pupils for the weekdays. 

He mixes 9 different of buckwheat. He rolls out the dough using a rolling pin. "If the dough's height is 1.2 mm, it is the best", he said.  It will be great "Nodogoshi（のどごし）". 

"Nodogoshi" is a word that is represented the comfort to go through the throat smoothly while feeling the coldness because of appropriate boiling and swing of noodles.

Sony PlayStation 4 is available now in North America!!!

Finally, you can play the game by Sony PlayStaion 4 at your relaxing home!
But this guy got PS4 earlier than today somehow. And he just threw away Xbox and installed PS4 right away. He is just so happy. If the developer of PS4 watch this video, the developer will be happy too, I guess.
You don't have to line up to buy PS4. Buy one online like him. It is easy to get it. >>>Play Station 4 (Standard Edition)

Thank you so much!

An intangible cultural heritage, "Washoku" is Japanese home food.

Japanese home food, Washoku
Rice, Miso soup, grilled fish, one cooked dish and Japanese pickle
["一汁三菜、Ichiju Sannsai" (One soup and three dishes)]

A registration to the world intangible cultural heritage of the Japanese home food or Japanese cuisine, "Washoku" was recommended in pre-screening the United Nations Educational, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is formally determined in December.

Onsen Tamago (Boiled egg), Japanese pickle and Natto

Japanese use various seafood and food from a mountain to make Washoku. It is superior in nutritional balance and taste. To present a sense of the season and the beauty of nature, a person who make Washoku gets a little creative with the tableware and food layout. It is also closely-linked to the annual events such as the harvest festival and New Year in Japan.

[Heart of Samurai] A Japanese man who lived a life full of ups and downs.

Today, I would like to post about a Japanese man who had a very interesting life in Edo period. His name is Manjiro Nakahama, also known as John Manjiro. He encountered so many difficulties but he could overcome every difficulty. The story of his life is at the forefront of the kids attention in U.S. because his life give them courage and hope. I will introduce his life a little bit in my blog.

John Manjiro

He spend a boyhood as fishermen in Tosa (Kochi), Japan. One day, he went to fishing with 4 fellows but their ship is caught in a typhoon. Their small boat was adrift on the Pacific Ocean. 

The boat drifted to a deserted island. John and his fellows drink rainwater, eat bird eggs and survived several months.

Fortunately, the American whaling ship has been stopped to the desert island to get some water. The American sailors rescued them at that time.

Instead of going to Japan, the whaling ship headed to Hawaii because it was in seclusion in Japan at the time. Manjiro learned English while he was helping the work on board the ship.

The captain and sailors liked Manjiro's hard work. 3 people except Manjiro got off the ship in Hawaii, Manjiro remained in the whaling ship.

The whaling ship got back to a port of the United States mainland with Manjiro. Manjiro went to the school in the U.S. as adopted son of the captain.

He went to a college and he studied a lot. He became an excellent human resources as a whaling ship engineer and technician.

He had a peaceful years to live as an whalers in the United States. 

However, he got his second disaster.

He had an american girlfriend. He was thinking to get married with her but she had died of illness while he was out to deep-sea fishing...

Manjiro became homesick and he decided to go back to Japan. But he didn't have enough money... 


His life was not so easy but he was very positive and looked forward all the time. What is happened to the rest of his life? Well, if you want to know the rest of his life and want to have a positive life like him, you must read this book. >>>Heart of a Samurai

Thank you so much!

ISS commander Koichi Wakata is now in space!

As I reported in the previous article (A Japanese house in space), a Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata went to space yesterday. He is in ISS now with his crews.

He said, "I am confident to make use of my expertise,
talent and experience to do a great job in space."

Look at his happy face!
Photo credit: JAXA

He will remain onboard the ISS for about six months until returning to the ground. In next March, Astronaut Wakata will be the first Japanese who is installed as the ISS Commander, and he conducts the six crews of Increment 39. He has to take care of all crews and ISS. But I think he will enjoy his responsible work in space. I wish I can go there and work with him.

Thank you so much!

[Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary 4] Summary of August, September and October Part 4 (Plant, Science and Snack!)

Plant

Bonsai has evolved as Japanese unique culture.

(Updated Date: Oct 22 2013)

You can start your Bosai
from this book.

Bonsai (盆栽, Bon is a tray or low-sided pot and sai is a planting or plantings.) is a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. ”Bonkei” is the original type of Bonsai. It is actually came from China. Bonkei came to Japan during the Heian Period (794-1185 years). Bonkei was very popular hobby around the court nobles and warriors, and the name became "Bonsai" in the Edo era (1603-1868 years).

Science

Japanese win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013???

(Updated Date: Oct 10 2013)

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 was awarded jointly to Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel "for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems". Congratulations!
However, still Japanese have chance to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Peace and Economic. Maybe, I am guessing Haruki Murakami win the nobel prize in Literature! There is no reason though...

Can any Japanese get a Nobel award in 2013?

(Updated Date: Oct 09 2013)

Last year, a Japanese scientist, Shinya Yamanaka got the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for "the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent (iPS cell)" with Sir John B. Gurdon. And yesterday, James E. Rothman, Randy W. Scheckman and Thomas C. Südhof got the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells. 

Snack

Nerunerunerune

Popin' Cookin' DIY Nerunerunerune Candy
Paste Soda Flavor through Amazon.ca

(Updated Date: Sep 03 2013)

This is a fantastic Japanese candy. It calls "Nerunerunerune"! You put some special powder with some water in a container and mix them! That's it! The taste is very yummy and soft! More mix, the more delicious! Please try this fantastic product from Japan!

Thank you so much!

[Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary 3] Summary of August, September and October Part 3 (Game and Manga)

Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary 3

Games

Sonic Colors 

(Updated date: Sep 11 2013)

You can buy Sonic Colors Wii
From Amazon.com!

Sonic Colors is a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is released by Sega for the Wii and Nitendo DS. I played this game on Wii. It is so much fun! It's soooo speedy and the graphics is so beautiful. Of special note is the high quality of the sound! The music is very fantastic and matched for all stages. Especially, I love the opening theme, "Reach for the Stars"!

Hiroshi Yamauchi

(Updated date: Sep 20 2013)

Former Nitendo head Hiroshi Yamauchi passed away at 85. He made Nitendo as a worldwide company. 
In 1889, Nitendo was a playing cards (Hanafuda) company but they made the "Game and Watch" in 1980. We loved it so much when we were a kid. Everybody had one and we wanted keep it in our hands all the time like the cell phone. In 1983, they made "Family computer (Nentendo Entertainment System: NES)".

Manga

Doraemon

(Updated date: Sep 04 2013)

Doraemon English Comic
Audio Version
from Amazon.com!

Doraemon came from the future. His work is to help Nobita who can not make anything anytime.
Nobita asks Doraemon to make something well. But sometimes he tries to solve a problem by himself with his courage. He is a boy who is actually very kind and taking care about his friends and he has the guts. That is why Doraemon helps him with his full might. Doraemon has 4 dimension pocket which he can remove the tools of the future. I really wanted get the tools when I was a kid. 

Buddha

Buddha
Osamu Tezuka
from Amazon.com!

(Updated date: Sep 05 2013)

Osamu Tezuka is a pioneer of manga in Japan. He wrote a lot of fantastic manga until he died of the cancer of the stomach. One of his manga which I love very much is "Buddha". This story is based on the real story of Buddha. You will be able to know what the life is, what the human is, why we exist in the world and where God is. Our life are connected to everything even the small lives like the bugs and the flower. It is easy to understand the Buddha's work. You should try to read this!!!

Power Ranger is made in Japan

Power Ranger
Storybook
from Amazon.com!

(Updated date: Sep 06 2013)

Shotaro Ishinomori is a manga artist who wrote Goranger. Power rangers is coming from his Manga, Goranger. The goranger series is airing on TV from 1975 and it is still going on! When I was a kid, I love this rangers. Red, Bule, Green, Yellow, Pink! Red is a leader of them. Pink is only lady. The situation is now a little bit different but the concept of Ishinomori is still same.

Dragon Ball

(Updated date: Oct 05 2013)

Dragon Ball vol.1
from Amazon.com!

Dragon Ball is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. 

If you collect all seven dragon balls around the world, a dragon "Shenron" will show up from the balls. And then Shenron will ask you, "I will grant your one wish." The main character "Goku (Son Goku)" had No.4 dragon balls as a keepsake from his grandpa. A teenage girl named Bulma find it on her dragon ball radar and she meets Goku. Dragon Ball is a feature-length cartoon drawn "friendship", "adventure", "effort" and "battle".

"Are you hungry? Eat my head!" A Japanese super hero "Anpanman"

Anpanman
Heart Warming Life Series
from Amazon.com!

(Updated date: Oct 16 2013)

Anpanman (アンパンマン) is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase. He passed away at 94 yesterday. I would like you to know his wonderful work "Anpanman" today and have to say this first to you that Anpanman is a very weird Japanese hero. 

Thank you so much!

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles won Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series!!!

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス) is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. The team is based in Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture where people got the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Their stadium was heavily damaged by floods during the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 2011.

On the day, the team was in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture where is close to Osaka, Japan. But their family was in Tohoku. When they had the news, they tried to call their family but they couldn't reach them and couldn't go back to Tohoku at the time.  

The staff and the players of Rakuten Eagles tried to think what they can do for Tohoku every night while they can not go back to Tohoku. They started a fund-raising activity in the away.

On April 2nd 2011, the captain of Rakuten Eagles, Motohiro Shima gave a speech in Sapporo Dome, Hokkaido. He said, "Let's show Tohoku's fundamental power!". This phrase was greatly encouraged the people in the disaster. If Rakuten Eagles can win the game, they can give a great hope and courage for the people.

The manager of Rakuten Eagles
Senichi Hoshino

But they couldn't win in 2011. They finished in 5th place. In 2012, they finished in 4th place. The manager of Rakuten Eagles, Senichi Hoshino believed the players. "Just do your best. That's it. Because you guys have a huge potential. "

They achieved a big goal yesterday. This win gives hope and courage for the people in Tohoku and in Japan.

Thank you, Rakuten Eagles! 

Thank you so much!!

[Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary 2] Summary of August, September and October Part 2 (Electronics)

Here is the Part 2 of ASJ Monthly Summary! Thank you!

Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary

Electronics

You can buy Cyber-Shot TX30
from Amazon.com! 

Sony Cyber-Shot (Updated date: Sep 18 2013)

I have a iPhone 4s in my hand now. I use my iPhone to take some pictures often. And also I have sony's Cyber-shot. I have not used my Cyber-shot for a while because I have iPhone and it very useful but when I compare the quality of the photos of iPhone and Cybershot, there is still big different between them. 



A brand-new camera from Sony (Updated date: Sep 27 2013)

Sony brand-new camera
DSCWX10

This is a brand-new camera from Sony. The model name is DSCWX10. I saw this camera on the internet a while ago and I actually could touch it and took a look of this camera's feature at Sony of Canada Ltd yesterday! This camera can attach to your cell phone like iPhone or Xperia. First of all, DSCWX10 connects to a cell phone through NFC (Near Field Communication). 



ToTo Washlet "Neorest" (Updated date: Oct 08 2013)

You can buy ToTo Neorest
from Amazon.com!

I think you can guess what the Washlet do for you without my explanation. When I used Washlet first time, the feeling was so weird. Of course, every time I used the paper so it should surprise no one that I felt like that. I think everybody feels like that. It just feel odd. I couldn't use it for a while after I used it first time. But I tried to use it again. I don't know why, I just wanted use it. I felt the same way but the feeling was a kind of different. It does not feel good but I felt it so clean. There is a warm air dryer so you can dry your bottom after you wash. But it takes a little time to dry so I use some paper at the same time. It makes your bottom clean very much. This is the most important thing. If you have your bottom issue, Washlet makes you happy.

Panasonic
Toughpad 4k

Will 20-inch tablet [Toughpad 4k] be able to save Panasonic? (Updated date: Oct 08 2013)

A Japanese electronics company, Panasonic will release 20-inch tablet "Toughpad 4k" in December 2013. The price will be USD 4600 or CAD 4800. The mainstream tablet in the world like iPad is about 8 to 10 inch and the price is about $500.  The price of Toughpad 4k is about 10 times bigger than the normal tablet. But this Toughpad 4k is not for the small customer. It is actually for the business person who is a car dealer, an architect or etc.

What of Retro appearance, FUJIFILM X20 is amazing？ (Updated date: Oct 29 2013)

You can buy  FUJIFILM X20
from Amazon.com!

FUJIFILM X20 was released in the spring of this year. This camera has a cute design in a very retro. My father had such a camera a long time ago. The camera looked like this camera. The size is small and I think you want to try to hold this camera. It reminds you the good old days. The design is retro, but the functionality is the latest.



Unprecedented experience, It connects the game and people [Sony PS4™] (Updated date: Oct 30 2013)

You can buy PS4
from Amazon.com!

Sony PS4™ will launch on November 15, 2013, in North America, and February 22, 2014 in Japan as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles.
PlayStation 4 achieves rapid access to content and high processing capacity, optimization of user experience, integration with social and a second-screen features, and provides a new unprecedented entertainment to all user of PlayStation 4 as a best playground.  

Thank you so much!!