Tokyo Times

Jul 02 2007 8 Comments

Eye candy

Just as the likes of Sony and Samsung can’t afford to standstill for fear of being caught by the field, Japanese plastic partner pioneer Orient Industry is equally keen on keeping ahead of the competition.The only difference being that Orient happens to have silicone rather than silicon inside its products that’s all.

And with the Tokyo based company’s dolls now being rented out to customers and used as hotel ‘extras’, not to mention those bought by individuals, a few fresh faces will no doubt help boost sales and increase the number of visitors to its showroom.

Meaning that those willing to make the journey will be able to feast their eyes on four new additions to the Candy Girl family. For starters there’s the decidedly melancholy looking Miku.

And a similarly miserable Meg.

Then there’s the rather thoughtful and ringlet sporting Rei.

With the last one being Kira, who looks like a kid. And not a very old one at that.

Yet despite some technological and texture related revisions, the price of a doll hasn’t changed at all. Although at an average of 600,000 yen (4,900 dollars) each, it’s perhaps just as well.

A link to Orient Industry’s homepage can be found here, although it has to be said that venturing anywhere beyond the main page is definitely not safe for work. In fact, getting caught perusing some of the pages could result in some awkward conversations with concerned (and possibly disturbed) colleagues.

More safe for work images can be seen at dannychoo.com where this info originated.

Jul 01 2007 Leave a Comment

Feisty fragrance

With Japan’s summer humidity steadily rising, precaution against perspiration is a must — especially if one may be aboard a busy train. But with a plethora of products on the market, manufacturers have to pull out all the stops to capture the public’s attention, which is exactly what Japanese cosmetic giant Shiseido has arguably done with its latest commercial for the aromatic Ag+.

Now how ‘good’ the commercial turns out to be as far as sales go remains to be seen, but with its foreign female armpit sniffing action, it should garner at least the odd look.

Jul 01 2007 Leave a Comment

Japanese food fun

The mind-boggling effort that some Japanese mothers put into their child’s lunchbox (or bento) is fairly well documented, with the likes of rice and random vegetables used to recreate various creatures and compositions.

An art form that has at last been given the recognition it so rightly deserves, as Tokyo proudly hosted the inaugural Character Bento competition on Friday. The eventual winner being ‘Rainy days are fun too!’, which by all accounts got the nod due to its nutritional balance and seasonal timeliness. It being rainy season and all that.

A closely fought contest that saw fellow finalist Miki Matsuzaka’s meat and melon-based Mona Lisa came a close second.

Apparently.

Jun 29 2007 6 Comments

Jobs in Japan

Whether it’s due to a Japanese nod towards internationalism or a need for novelty, more and more foreigners are popping up on TV shows, in commercials and as part of product advertising campaigns. Not just the fabulously famous variety either, but your regular run-of-the-mill gaijin. A group normally named gaitare, a slightly comical combination of foreigner and talent.

Now whilst a large number of these semi-celebrities do posses more than a fair bit of the latter in both fluency and finesse, others it has to be said come up a bit short in the skills department. But even then, if they are endowed in other areas, there is still work to be had out there.

(click image for full-sized foreigner)

Jun 28 2007 4 Comments

Tokyo tumble

How much truth there is in the much favoured phrase â€œ60 is the new 40â€ is certainly open to question, but if it is considered credible, then where does it leave the Japanese? As undoubtedly the longest living people in the world, could 70 actually be the new 40 in Japan?

In fact for some so-called elderly Japanese, even such a claim could be classed as conservative, with more adventurous activities still being continued well into later life. Take skateboarding for example. Whereas many of their western counterparts may weary of their wheels before reaching 30, Japanese boarders never surrender — they simply support themselves with sticks instead.

(image from Nero’s great uncle, via the FG forums)

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