Japanese

Beer connoisseurs can prepare to have their palates tested by an out-of-this-world brew from Sapporo. The Japanese brewer is launching the world’s first beer produced using malt made 100 percent from “space barley”. The barley in question is the fourth generation descendant of the Haruna Nija malting barley that was developed by the company and kept in space for five months during 2006 as part of collaborative research with the Russian Academy of Sciences and Okayama University - who obviously have their priorities straight.  Read More

One of the stand-outs amongst a stellar field of automated and autonomous ingenuity on show at the IRex robotics expo in Japan this week was the Yurina Care Robot from Japan Logic Machine. Essentially a robotic bed, the 3.5 million Yen (around US$41,000) Yurina reconfigures electronically, on-the-fly, can be controlled by the user or a carer into many different configurations, has four separate sections which can all be angled differently, and can lift and make comfortable, a disabled person of up to 120 kilograms in almost any position. It gets along at 4kmh, can lower you into the bath and get you out again without giving anyone a hernia and comes with a range of optional extras you could only dream about if you are in need of such a device.  Read More

Japan’s biggest mobile phone operator, NTT DoCoMo, has unveiled a raft of new phones – 19 in all – along with a 3G-capable digital photo frame. The new lineup includes the waterproof F-02B (complete with snap-on perfume holder), four models packing a 12.2-megapixel camera and the world’s first phone with a separable two-module body.  Read More

There seems to be a rush on inventive underwear this week with our second - and even more impractical - example coming from Triumph International Japan, who twice a year unveil a concept bra that highlights a popular trend or draws attention to social issues. Earlier this year saw the Konkatsu Bra designed to help Japanese women on the hunt for a man. The latest bra is designed to appeal to the growing numbers of female golfers in Japan looking for a unique way to practice their putting.  Read More

It can be very frustrating to discover that you can’t fit your stroller through the supermarket checkout, especially if you have already unloaded all the shopping from your cart. And trying to get your pusher through some train station automatic turnstiles is nigh on impossible. The Curio Avventura stroller was specifically designed to fit through narrow Japanese train station turnstiles and is also automatically collapsible if you need to carry it on to the train, meaning getting both you and baby out of any tight situations is a simple affair.  Read More

Those who like a camera phone to pack some serious specs will be very pleased to hear of Casio’s upcoming release of the Exilim CA003, featuring a 12.2MP camera with autofocus and a 28mm wide angle lens with 3X optical zoom. The phone will boast a 3.3” WVGA OLED screen as well as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FM radio. It supports microSDHC cards up to 16GB and will be available in four fashion colors including “champagne gold”.  Read More

Much like the recent spherical Eris watch, here’s another way to tell the time that is a little “out of this world”. Japanese not-for-profit organization Think The Earth has released the wn-2 watch, featuring a tiny replica of the Earth that rotates in the same direction and at the same speed as the real thing. By offering a view similar to that seen from orbit, the creators hope the wn-2 (which stands for “watch Northern Hemisphere”) will encourage the wearer to put things in perspective and consider the world around them.  Read More

It's said that less than one in five businesses started today will be around in five years' time - which puts this story into perspective. Hōshi Ryokan is a hotel and spa in Komatsu, Japan. It has been owned and run by the same family for 46 generations so far, and its famous hot springs have been refreshing and revitalizing its patrons for no less than 1291 years. Founded by a Buddhist disciple whose master had the springs' location delivered to him in a dream, Hōshi is the world's oldest hotel and also the world's oldest continuously-operating business.  Read More

Japanese telecommunications company NTT Com is currently seeking volunteers to test a pungent bit of kit which produces different smells at the request of programs downloaded from the Internet. There will be two separate trials of the i-Aroma conducted in Japan from mid-July to the end of August. One course will send out smells matching "the rhythm of daily life" while the other will release odors based on an ancient astrological system.  Read More