Kids’ shoes that are eco-friendly

Talk about corns and feet and the first mental picture you’ll probably get is that of painful, swollen calluses on your toes. But in Japan, corns and feet have a new meaning — one that is eco-friendly.

Moonstar, a shoe manufacturer in Japan, has recently partnered with Kuraray in releasing a new shoe line for children. The Biomass Hadashikko are the first shoes to be made from corn. The manufacturer uses biomass technology in producing the shoes, which reduces the total carbon emission when compared to using fossil fuel.

The shoes do not scrimp on comfort, too. using Comfort Saver technology, Moonstar claims that children will be assured of sensations that are akin to actually walking barefoot without sacrificing ample support for the soles that active children need.

Man dressed in schoolgirl uniform arrested

Hentai culture in Japan can sometimes go to the most extreme lengths and practices. Take for instance this recent report from one of Japan’s dailies.

A man in Saitama was arrestedby police when he was caught sneaking inside a high school. And what was this pervert wearing? a schoolgirl’s uniform.

The man, 39 year old Tetsunori Nanpei, was reported to have been witnessed exposing himself to passing students from within his car, while it was parked outside the school. Apparently not content with what he was doing, he decided to enter the school wearing the uniform. Fortunately, a number of students recognized him and immediately reported it to school officials. He was promptly nabbed by a teacher, who handed him to the police.

Nanpei admitted that he got the uniform from an online auction. The police reported that he was wearing makeup and a pink bra but with no other underwear.

A story that could’ve been taken straight out of hentai fiction, doesn’t it?

Doraemon copter

Doraemon is probably one of the most iconic characters in Japan. The cute character has become a staple of Japanese pop culture in much the same way Hello Kitty has. Everyone knows Doraemon and every product or item that has his unmistakeable visage always sells well.

One of the ardent dreams of children is being able to ride on Doraemon’s bamboo copter. They may not be able to do this in real life but they can do the next best thing — which is to actually play with a real flying copter. Epoch has released a radio controlled toy that depicts Doraemon that actually flies. The propellers of the toy even looks exactly like the Bamboo Copter’s blades, so authenticity is a big selling point.

HK picture scandal could spill over to Japan

The biggest controversy in Hong Kong today are the emergence of very racy photos that involve some of HK’s top stars. The photos involve Edison Chen and some of his former girlfriends, which include superstars Cecilia Cheung and Gillian Chung.

According to reports, the photos were taken from Chen’s laptop when he had it repaired. Apparently, he forgot to remove the incriminating photographs and the technician stole it from his laptop. It has now been released to the public and is creating such an uproar there because it involves so many stars. Stars Bobo Chan, Joline Tsai and even Maggie Q are said to be included in the 1300 pictures stolen from Chen.

But the scandal threatens to spill over to Japan because there are rumors that there are some pictures that also include Japanese star Chiaki Kuriyama, who was also rumored to have been involved with Chen. The pictures are now available on the internet and time will tell if Kuriyama is indeed included in these photos.

Panasonic presents bumper cam

Navigating the tiny streets of Japan can be so cumbersome but then any small street would always be a pain to drive in no matter the country. But probably one of the toughest things to do when in a car is parking it especially in spaces where the fit is just too tight that you really can’t see where you’re going and estimating the distance from the wall or another vehicle is just so tough.

But Panasonic has formed a solution for the dilemma by now selling a small camera that you can attach to the rear bumper of your car. The camera is then attached to a small monitor that is installed on the car dashboard. With this setup, parking becomes idiot proof. The great thing is that Panasonic is also selling the product in different colors so it will match the color of your car. Isn’t it ingenious?

Japan goes gaga over mini veggies

There is a growing demand for miniature vegetables in Japan, and sales of these delicacies are booming not just in local stores but also on the internet. Some of the mini veggies that are quite popular in Japanese homes are daikon, cucumber, bok choy and Japanese cabbage.

The vegetables are really considered miniature — for example, a mini daikon is just one half or one third of the size of a regular daikon.

These miniature veggies are particularly popular in homes with few family members and also elderly couples. The size makes it easy to store, quicker to cook and also stays fresh longer in the ref. Housewives particularly like the advantage of quicker cooking times.

In a country that has miniaturized practically everything, vegetables are really not that far behind.