[Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary 1] Summary of August, September and October Part 1 (Book and DVD)

I started this blog since the end of August. I am trying to update some wonderful Japanese products and some Japanese people everyday. So I think I should make a summary of a month. I hope it can be a good things for you to find a nice Japanese stuff again.

Thank you!

Astro Shop Japan Monthly Summary

Book

Parasite Eve (Updated date: Sep 12 2013)

Mitochonddria are the energy factories of biological cells. It has own independent genome againt human genome. It has been in the cells over hundred million years. It try to occupy the human being to take up initiative. It was so thrilling and scary story but very interesting. I want to introduce more books by Hideaki Sena.

Koishikute (Updated date: Sep 17 2013)

Haruki Murakami's new book "Koishikute (Ten selected love stories)"is now in Japan. The picture is from a japanese news paper. I have not read this book yet but it says he selected 9 love stories of the novelists like Maile Meloy, David Kranes, Tobias Wolff and Lauren Groff etc. And his new love story is in the book! Of course this is a japanese book but I just wanted introduce his new book to all. 


Kazuo Murakami [The Devine Code of Life] (Updated date: Sep 17 2013)


Did you know that the bene is not much diffferent between human and chimpanzee? It is only 1.2% different! But the looks and almost everything are different between human and chimpanzee. Because some of the genes of human are ON but those genes are OFF in chimpanzee. The switching of genes makes the different. 







A Compass to Fulfillment  (Updated date: Sep 19 2013)

Kazuo Inamori has founded and led to global success two giant corporations, Kyocera and KDDI. Also he helped Japan Airlines in bankruptcy in 2010. He excellently could bring Japan Airlines back from the grave. 
He has his own philosophy and faith. That is a kind of very easy things to do but people forget or don't believe it. He tells us what the life is, why we are existing, what we should do for our life.

DVD

Honey and Clover (Updated date: Aug 31 2013)

Honey and Clover (ハチミツとクローバー) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chika Umino. It is also known as HachiKuro (ハチクロ) and H&C. The series was also adapted as a live action movie, which was released in theaters in Japan on July 22, 2006. I actually watched the movie by DVD. It was so warm and lovely movie for me. 

High and Low (Updated date: Sep 09 2013)

"High and Low" is created by Akira Kurosawa. He is a great Japanese film director. The title in Japanese is "Heaven and Hell". One day, Kingo Gondo got a phone call from a guy. The guy said "I kidnaped your son." But his son, Jun was just playing outside. Jun was OK. The kidnapper mistook to kidnap. The boy was Shinichi, a son of Gondo's chauffeur... There is no way to pay the ransom for Shinichi because he is not Gondo's son. But what if the kidnapper killed Shinichi? Shinichi is a best friend of Jun. Gondo has to make a decision.

Totoro (Updated date: Sep 09 2013)

A university porfessor Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters, Satsuki and Mei, move into an old house. Satsuki and Mei met the monsters but they are not scary monsters. I think they love kids and love to play with kids. I believe they are the fairy. If I can, I want to meet them too. The film is good for the kids! 





Whisper of the Heart (Updated date: Sep 23 2013)

This movie is very thoughtful and warm. Shizuku Tsukishima is 14 years old girl who is a bookworm. One day, she found out Seiji Amasawa is reading same books at a library which she read already. There were his name on the check out cards of some books which she was trying to read. He is reading a book which she wants to read and she is reading a book which he wants to read. Shizuku is wondering "who is Seiji Amasawa". She got a feeling that she wants to meet him.

Unprecedented experience, It connects the game and people [Sony PS4™]

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.  

The game life of PS4™ spreads on the network out of your living room to combine your daily life. You can get the surprise and excitement by getting in tune with the game and people, and people and people. A New gaming experience, with a new game console!

I don't know why Sony release PS4™ in North America faster than Japan. Don't they want to sell it for Christmas in Japan? 

This is a promotion video PS4™. Sound exciting!

Thank you!

What of Retro appearance, FUJIFILM X20 is amazing？

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.

The advanced optical viewfinder makes a comfortable viewing of the shooting information.The manual zoom is for easy framing in a comfortable shooting. It starts quickly, it will focus instantly. Sharp and clear, 12M X-Trans CMOS Ⅱ copies the world clearly. FUJIFILM is a photographic film manufacturers in Japan. They aggressively advance into the field of the medical and healthcare field and material of liquid crystal displays, medical and pharmaceutical, functional cosmetics by applying the technical capabilities such as chemical synthesis, which has been cultivated in the photographic film manufacturing. Because we don't need the films now  by using the digital camera. We can watch the photos on the display. They have to do something different.

But FUJIFILM is still selling the lens with film "Utsurundesu (写ルンです, QuickSnap)"  in the mainstream of digital camera. It was released in 1986. I think it was a revolutionary camera and it had explosive sales at that time. I still remember the sense of holding a QuickSnap. I was a kid though.

I think FUJIFILM has an attitude that they put emphasis on the good old stuff and hand the stuff down to posterity. I surely think they will make such a warm products from now on.

If you want to have the camera from FUJIFILM, you can buy it from Amazon.>>>

Fujifilm X20 Silver 12 MP with All-Glass 4x Manual Optical Zoom Lens

Thank you.

Will 20-inch tablet [Toughpad 4k] be able to save Panasonic?

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. 

Panasonic pursuit the quality of the electronic stylus in this product. Panasonic decided to use Anoto's positioning technology of digital pen. They could create a new electronic pen that we can draw fine character and curve like on paper. 

"Toughpad 4k" was awarded the Grand Prix at the Products segment of CEATEC JAPAN 2013.

I think honestly, it's niche products. But it's products that symbolizes the current Panasonic which aim to survive by moving to B to B from B to C even they turn their back toward the large market.

The executives of Microsoft and Intel said "It's a product like made in Japan". They evaluate the unique ideas. I hope Toughpad 4k can be a product which can save Panasonic. 

Thank you.

A very famous Japanese nationally-televised TV program, "Waratte Iitomo! (It's OK to laugh!)" is terminated?

A TV show "Waratte Iitomo" started in October 1982. This show aired every weekday at 12 pm on Fuji TV. This show's host is Tamori (Kazuyoshi Morita). The show features a series of regular members who only feature on a particular day of the week. These regular members are changed periodically. Everyday we can see the different casts and the different programs with Tamori in the show. The system is a kind of fun for us to watch the show. The show is at noon so actually, the workers and the students can not see this TV show. But every Sundays, the show airs the digest version, so those people also can see the TV show.  

Tamori attended Waratte Iitomo's 5000th show, giving him the record for the longest continued hosting of a live television program. His record was recorded in the 2003 Guinness Book of World Records. Bill Gates has appeared on this show at the time.

But this TV show will be terminated in March 2014 because of a backdrop of a fall in viewing figures. We thought we could see this TV show forever even if Tamori retired. 

Fuji TV slipped to third place in the annual viewership of last year. Chihiro Kameyama, who was appointed the president of Fuji TV in June this year, was hit and series "Bayside Shakedown" mission as a producer in the viewing rate recovery. According to the officials, Kameyama regime analysis "Waratte Iitomo is a large presence to affect the rating of the day. We can not expect to rise the entire rating of Fuji TV without this decision." he said. He actually had decided to end the show just after he became the president. It was a very famous and lovely show for us, but the things will change. I hope Fuji TV can make a wonderful TV program in the near future after Waratte Iitomo.

Thank you!

Here is a wonderful vehicle from Honda! [U3-X]

The Honda U3-X is a self-balancing one-wheeled electric vehicle designed for personal transport. Honda used Ashimo's technology for this U3-X.  It weighs 10 kg (22 lb) and travels at 6 km/h (3.7 mph). It works in the direction of moving the center of gravity. This vehicle go to forward, backward, right and left. If you want to change the direction, you use your toe like a ski stick. If you want to stop, bring your weight back to center. So how much is this? It seems to become more than ¥ 500,000 (about USD 4,786) if Honda piles up the cost. In order to achieve the light weight, it has to use carbon for the structure such as racing cars and expensive lithium-ion battery.

If they replace carbon by aluminum and carbon, and the price of the battery becomes cheaper, the price is possible to be 100,000 yen. Honda does not have any plan to put this U3-X on the market now because of the high cost. Even if they can not put their product on the market, Honda have a great attitude to make such a wonderful vehicle like Asimo. I hope we can see it on the market in the near future.

Here is a demonstration movie of U3-X. You can see very smooth movement of U3-X. Do you want it? I want it!

Thank you!

Bonsai has evolved as Japanese unique culture.

People loves Bonsai.

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).

Now, Bonsai has evolved as Japanese unique culture, and has earned a reputation as a "great traditional culture of Japan" from all over the world. There is an university of Bonsai in Italy.

You can sell your Bonsai by a higher price than when you bought !?

Bonsai has the elements of "gardening" and "art".

If it says "the art", there is a decent "value". There is a Bonsai which the price is rather than several million yen, or tens of millions yen, and the highest peak one is several hundreds of million yen! The older one gets higher price.

"You can sell your Bonsai" is one of its greatest attractions. Do you want to try to do Bonsai?

Thank you so much!

A Japanese house in space

The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), also known with the nickname Kibo (きぼう, Hope), is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station (ISS) developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. 

However, this is an experiment module so people can not sleep in Kibo. Japanese astronauts has to sleep in American Module.

A Japanese astronauts, Kouichi Wakata will go to Kibo in Nov 2013 as a expedition 38 crew member and he will be a first Japanese commander for expedition 39.

The commanders were mostly American or Russian. Now it's Japanese turn! I can't wait to see the launch for expedition 38.

Thank you!

How far can you drive by your car at one feed?

My car is 2005 Toyota Prius. It is made in Japan and very nice car. As you know, Prius has an electric motor. The electric motor starts first, and then a gasoline engine starts next when we need more power. As long as we drive by only the electric motor, we don't use gas. The battery charges when we press the brake pedal or from the gasoline engine.

In my case, I can drive about 700 km at one feed. The average fuel consumption is about 4.6 liters per 100 km (51.1 miles per gallon or 21.7 km per 1 liter). The current fuel consumption is 4.2 liters per 100 km (56.0 miles per gallon or 23.8 km per 1 liter). The average fuel consumption of the normal gasoline engine car is at under 8 litters per 100 km. 

So I can go approximately the double distance than the normal car at the same cost. Of course, the price of the cars are different but I just love the concept of Prius and the hybrid system. Please try to drive Prius if you have never driven Prius. You will love it.

Thank you so much.

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

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. 

Baikinman is a bad role in the story. He always wants to do something bad things for the people in the world of the story. If the the people got damage from Baikinman, they will call Anpanman for help. Ampanman always asks the people, "Are you OK? Are you hungry? If you are hungry, please eat my head. you will be fine. Here you go." And Anpanman give the some part of his head to the people. 

A red beans bun is called an "Anpan" in Japanese. Anpanman's head is made by Anpan. Uncle Jam bakes his head. If Ampanman give some his head, he gets damage, of course. And if his head soaked by water, he can not move. Baikinman knows about these. So he always tries to attack his head. But Ampanman is very strong. Baikinman can not beat him easily. 

Ampanman is very thoughtful and very lovely man. He always makes people happy by his heart and head. He protects others by the sacrifice of self. I think spirit leading to the Bushido is on in this story. Only Japanese can make this kind of story and get this idea. I believe so. Japanese kids learn something very important from Anpanman naturally. Kids loves Ampanman so much.

May he rest in peace. Thank you so much, Mr. Yanase. If you are interested in his work, please take a look below!

Thank you so much. 

A controllable beyblade won after it was dead!

A Japanese toy maker, Takara Tomy made "Beyblades". The beginning of the sales were so-so. And so, they decided to issue a manga and an anime. And then, the toy is in a megahit!

Beigoma

Bayblades is a contemporary version of "Beigoma". Beigoma is spun by wrapping a thin cord around it, then throwing it while releasing the cord to spin it onto a surface such as matting spread across the top of a barrel. The thrower aims it at another beigoma that is already spinning to knock it out of the playing area. The loser is the player whose top either stops spinning first or is knocked outside the area. Bayblades are similar to Beigoma.

You can not control Beigoma after you throw but you actually can control Bayblades. A controllable Bayblades has a tiny motor inside. If you press the buttons, the Bayblades moves. A picture is worth a thousand words. It is a lot of fun!

A controllable beyblade won after it was dead!

Thank you!

Who won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2013?

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2013 was awarded to Alice Munro "master of the contemporary short story". Congratulations!  She is a Canadian author. I didn't know about her so I want to read her novel. "The Moons of Jupiter", "The View from Castle Rock", her novels sound very interesting for me.

"Harukists" (big fans of Haruki Murakami) must be a disappointment. I saw a Japanese news on TV about them. There was a Harukists cafe in Japan. They were waiting the announcement of the prize in from of the internet. Absolutely, he is a great novelist too. So maybe, he can win next year! I look forward to it.

Japanese win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 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...
 
Peter Higgs and his colleagues in the UK who won the Nobel Prize in Physics yesterday found the Higgs boson which is to be given a mass to all things. But in this Higgs boson discovery, a Japanese optical equipment manufacturer Hamamatsu Photonics greatly contributed. 

Masatoshi Koshiba, University of Tokyo, Honorary Professor was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 in the "neutrino" observation. "Photomultiplier tube" of Hamamatsu Photonics has played a major role at the time. The technology won the honor of the world again.

Masatoshi Koshiba

Masatoshi Koshiba succeeded the neutrino observation by this Kamiokande.

I hope new technology will be able to born by using the Higgs boson and it makes new industry.

Can any Japanese get a Nobel award in 2013?

iPS cell

Shinya Yamanaka

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. 

And François Englert and Peter W. Higgs got the Nobel Prize in Physics 2013 today  "for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles".

The Nobel will announce the Nobel Prize in Chemistry tomorrow. Akira Fujishima known for "Honda-Fujishima effect" of the photocatalyst and Susumu Kitagawa known in the development of porous metal complex, they has been raised as a candidate from Japan. I can't wait to know who will win the prize. I hope a Japanese scientist can get the prize!

Thank you!

Washlet

I would like to introduce "Washlet" today. Washlet is a registered trademark of the Japanese toilet company Toto. Toto is a manufacturer of sanitary ware-housing equipment and it is a member of the Morimura group. Morimura is the world's largest ceramics business group. A Japanese tableware manufacturer, "Noritake" is also in Morimura group. I will post about Noritake another day.

"Washlet" is a combination of the English words for "let" and "wash". In 1982, there was a TV commercial for Washlet in Japan. The catch-phrase was "your bottom wants to be washed". You can see the commercial on Youtube. This CM enhanced the visibility of the Washlet in Japan. I still remember about this commercial.

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.

The Washlet users are more than 60 % in Japan. The toilet seat has a heater so it is not cold when you sit down in the cold weather. It also has a sensor. If you stand in front of the toilet, the toilet cover will open by itself and close when you done. It is very smart toilet. The design is very sophisticated. I hope you can try this Washlet once and can feel the same way!
Thank you so much!

Dragon Ball

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".

It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters published into 42 tankobon volumes by Shueisha. TV animation aired on Fuji TV. A live-action film was made in Hollywood and theater version animated cartoon was made in Japan. Such as game software and related goods have a large number of produced even after the end of series .

Weekly Shonen Jump recorded and sold 653 million copies in 1995 because of the popular cartoon series such as "Dragon Ball". The number of copies printed of Dragon Ball was more than 150 million in Japan and more than 230 million at the worldwide.

There is a very interesting item in the story. That is "Hoi poi capsule". Bulma's Dad is making this item at his own company. There is a button top of the capsule, press the button and throw it to somewhere in a large space. After a few seconds, the stuff in the capsule materialize. The capsule can hold various things like airplane, car, robot and house even some water. I wanted to have it so much. Especially, I wanted the capsule which can hold a house and live in the house.

The various items that come out in the story are very attractive. "Scouter" that can measure the combat capability of the person. "Kintoun" that it looks like a cloud and Goku can ride on it to fly. "Artificial gravity device" that was used as a combat training machine. The story is very fun but you can see such interesting items in the story. That is why "Dragon Ball" was a big hit. You should read this "Dragon Ball"!

Thank you so much!

Frixion Ball

When you are writing by using a ballpoint pen, have you ever thought if you can erase the letters? If you use this FriXion Ball, you can do that!

"We have created a whole new market and culture to the world of stationery." Stationery major Pilot Corporation has developed an erasable ballpoint pen. It is called " FriXion ball". Since its launch in 2006, it has sold 400 million total 50 million this close in the world, including Japan.

Pilot Corporation is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Tokyo. It produces writing instruments, stationery and jewellery, but is best known for its pens.

It is the largest pen manufacturer in Japan, and has a large number of subsidiaries throughout the world, including in the Philippines, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and France. Most Pilot pens are made in Japan, France and the USA. 

Especially, the kids in France have to use a blue ballpoint pen in the school. They can not erase the letters. They use a green pen for the correction. So, FriXion Ball is great for them. They love it so much.

Write, Erase, Rewrite! FriXion Ball Erasable Gel Pen contains a thermo-sensitive gel ink formula which disappears with erasing friction. This means no wear or tear to the writing surface!

The price is about 3 EURO (JPY 300). Do you want to try to use this pen? You should have one!

FriXion highlighter is also available! Please watch this video. You can know how it works.
Pilot Frixion Ball Demo 


Thank you so much!