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!