Tokyo Times

Sep 12 2005 1 Comment

Cane casing

There are now more iPod accessories than one can shake a stick at, but Japanese company Temas has (quite literally) taken this situation to heart, grasping the aforementioned stick and fashioning a case out of it.

Ok, it might be more of a pole than a stick, but regardless of semantics, this bamboo case for the iPod Shuffle is certainly a bit out of the ordinary. Nice to look at too.

There are more images of the ‘Take’ here, plus for nature lovers a rather nice picture of some bamboo. The cases it has to be said aren’t cheap at 6,000 yen (30 pound) each, but I suppose the chances of sitting next to somebody on the train who also has one are slim to say the least.

Yet as attractive as the bamboo box is, check out this lacquerware beauty for the iPod Mini.

Needless to say it’s even more expensive than the Take Shuffle, retailing at a hefty 9,800 yen (almost 50 pound). However with the Mini now officially dead due to the arrival of the nano, a discounted price tag could be just around the corner. Until then it can bought at the full price here.

Sep 09 2005 15 Comments

Blue bloom

Perhaps for no other reason than to stop greeting card manufacturers using tired old rhymes concerning the colour of roses and violets, Suntory Ltd — with the help of Australian company Florigene — has produced a blue rose. A result that took a staggering 15 years of research to achieve.

As it’s due to go on public display over the weekend (for the first time I think), the blue bloom was shown to the press yesterday.

An event that must have been fascinating to say the least.

Sep 09 2005 Leave a Comment

Bobbing bobby

A 31-year-old senior police officer — who has already been suspended for three months — is expected to resign very soon, as yesterday the local police sent an investigation report to prosecutors.

The unnamed officer it seems drove his car into a river on August 27, while allegedly under the influence of alcohol. And although no test appears to have been carried out at the time, the policemen who picked him up (or out as the case may be) detected a massive amount of alcohol on his breath.

For such an incident to not make the press and be conveniently swept under the carpet would be of no surprise to anyone, however there are rumours that it may not be the first time the boozing bobby has partaken in one too many beverages.

Sep 08 2005 4 Comments

Peko pilferers

Earlier this year, Tetsuji Shibuya was sentenced to 5 Â½ years in prison for stealing Peko-chan dolls; and in a decision that further underlines the gravity of such a crime, his accomplice, Hiroyuki Cho, was sentenced to an even heftier 7 years behind bars this week.

As you can see from the picture, Peko-chan dolls aren’t the most attractive of figurines, but the mascot of Fujiya cakes and sweets — which made its first appearance 45 years ago — has become something of a collectors item, especially as the promotional dolls are not for sale. Creating a situation where they are stolen and then sold illicitly over the internet and at flea markets. The life-size versions that are placed outside shops sometimes selling for as much as 100,000 yen (500 pound) a piece.

It is said that the Peko pair managed to steal around 15 life-size versions of the doll, making a relatively impressive 1.1 million yen (5,500 pound). This unprecedented number of thefts — of which some included violence — prompted prosecutors to demand an 11-year prison sentence for Cho, as he was considered the mastermind behind the Peko pilfering plan. Judge Takeshi Kaneko agreed, adding that Cho-san had shown no signs of repentance, despite being the brains behind the operation. The unemployed 39-year-old found guilty of emailing instructions to his sidekick Shibuya.

An alleged copy of one of the incriminating electronic messages is shown below, after apparently being leaked by the prosecution. The email outlining the planning and intelligence needed for such a delicate operation.

A document that was inexplicably written in English.

Sep 07 2005 1 Comment

Celebrity cyclist

The bicycle is ubiquitous in Japan, with people using them for a trip to the shops, going out to meet friends, or occasionally to do a spot of exercising on. However rather than Armstrong-esque speed machines, the majority of cyclists possess basket adorned bone-shakers like the ones below.

The same however can’t be said about legendary singer Kiyoshiro Imawano. Whilst attempting to be ‘a man of the people’ by hopping on his bike like everybody else, the singing sensation opted for a much more unusual cycle than the norm; choosing a custom-built dream machine that set him back a staggering 1.6 million yen (8,000 pound).

Unfortunately for Imawano-san, he made the mistake of not being as specific in regards to security as he was design. After leaving his bike outside a friend’s house on Sunday evening, he returned to find it had been stolen. The only thing left being the severed chain.

The police it seems were surprised at the theft, especially considering that the bike had ‘KIYOSHIRO’ emblazoned on the frame. However with its distinctive green colour, and a known weight of 6.8 kilogrammes, the bike should soon be recovered and back with its rightful owner.

Despite such reassurances, Imawano was allegedly pictured out and about in Tokyo yesterday, desperately seeking his beloved bicycle. Yet rather bizarrely, the distraught singer appeared to be wearing a suit to match the colour of his missing bike.

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