What’s New with Japan Technology?

The main source of most electronics and technological gadgets today are surely to be easily traced from Japan. Having this distinction for quite some time now, many people are tracing via the Internet the leaks on new releases of modern technology. This of course was made possible through the proper optimization practices such by affordable search engine optimization to local sites as offered by teams like the Los Angeles SEO. There is surely a large market out there looking for first hand news on the latest trends and tricks today.

Moreover, Japan will always be synonymous with electronics. All it needs is to feed the latest gigs and deals and people will surely be raving and making their reviews. Add to this, release dates will be monitored since people always want to be the first to try them out, not matter what the cost may be!

That is simply how people are today, always after distinction.

Hiro Nakamura - The Newest Japanese Hero

Yatta!

Who hasn’t heard of Hiro Nakamura? If you haven’t immediately head on to NBC’s official website and catch up on the latest episode of their series that’s taken the world of television by storm - HEROES. From the very start Hiro has been one of my favorite characters. Played by Masi Oka, who is more than worthy of an entire post for himself, Hiro Nakamura is one of the funniest but coolest characters of the series.

Hiro is a programmer at Yamagoto Industries in Tokyo, Japan who bored with his work and is convinced that he has the power to bend the space-time continuum. He is of course right and is able to go to New York using his powers, which starts his adventures.

Hiro is just one of the many people with extra-ordinary powers around which the TV series Heroes revolves. Watch even just one episode, if you haven’t yet and I can guarantee you that you will be hooked…like all Hiro’s fans are.

Baby Hatch

Despite much controversy and opposition a hospital at Kumamoto, Kyodo has installed the first ever baby hatch in Japan. The baby hatch is placed in the first floor of the Jikei Hospital and built into the wall. It is accessible outside through a door, which the parents can open to be able to pace the baby on a small specialized bed that maintains the same conditions as an incubator does. The hospital staff is alerted by an alarm and a surveillance camera pointed at the baby’s bed automatically starts capturing images once the door of the hatch is opened.

Taiji Hasuda, the hospital director, says that the baby hatch is a last resort meant to save the lives of babies who would otherwise be left to die. They however hope that parents will instead seek help from the hospital instead of leaving their babies in the hatch.

Stricter Gun-Control Guidelines

Japan is famous for being a very safe place with its crime-free streets. Despite the presence of the infamous yakuza, which is responsible for organized crime in the country, ordinary Japanese citizens as well as foreign visitors used to enjoy a safe and quiet existence undisturbed by criminals. However the recent spate of gangster shootings which lead to the death of the beloved Mayor of Nagasaki, Itcho Ito, has pushed Japan to go for stricter gun-control guidelines.

According to the deputy chief cabinet secretary, Hakubun Shimomura, most of the guns that were confiscated were foreign made. Because of this foreign aircraft and ships will be required to report more detailed information regarding their cargo, passengers, and crew to the Japanese customs in hopes of decreasing the amount of smuggled guns into the country. In case any suspicious cargo are found customs are also required to carry out inspections as needed.

Tokyo Midtown

If you are looking for the newest and hippest place to stay, shop and dine in Japan then you’d better head for Tokyo Midtown. Tokyo Midtown, located in Akasaka was completed just this March. New as it is, it is already very popular and is especially well-known for having the tallest building in Tokyo as well as Tokyo’s newest park and the Suntory Museum.

Tokyo Midtown is as stylish as it can get and is made of six buildings amidst lush greenery. The “town” features facilities such as stores, restaurants, offices, hotels, museums and even its own hospital. It was built with the goal of making the most out of the last remaining 10 hectares of land located in the very heart of Tokyo. It seems that the developers were indeed successful at realizing their goals and has made Tokyo Midtown a place where one can dwell, relax, have fun, shop, and even work. They have indeed created a town of functional diversity.

Bear Watching Trip

Not that you will lack of things to do if you are in Japan but if you love the place so much and are running out of some fun ideas I suggest that you go on a Bear Watching Trip just outside Tokyo.

Bear watching trips are run in association with the Shinshu Bear Research Organisation. The guide, Oscar Huyens, is known for being first person in Japan to obtain a PHD from studying Asiatic black bears, hence ensuring that you not only get to catch a glimpse of the wonderful bers but that you willl also get an earful of knowledge.

The tour isn’t for lazy people since you will need to go to the town of Matsumoto and from there travel into the mountains by car before hiking on foot to go to the mountain lodge to stay overnight and hike back down the valley in the morning while being led by the tour guide. If the visitor doesn’t see a bear during the tour the person gets his money back.

Sakuran

Sakuran, a film by renowned photographer, Mika Ninagawa, made waves in Japan. Sakuran revolves around the lives of women called oiran.

The oiran were women that existed during the Edo era. The oiran lived in self-contained “Pleasure Quarters” and like geishas were required to be well-versed with the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy, and conversation. However, unlike geishas, the oiran were prostitutes, although they were considered to be elite prostitutes. Also unlike the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, the movie about the oiran had a good reception Japan.

This could have been due to the more unsentimental approach of the film wherein the main character, a tayu (one of the highest ranking courtesans), had no silly day dreams of a prince in a shining armor but only wished to escape her life. It showed a far stronger breed of women, which is something modern women can relate to more easily.

LA FOLLE JOURNÉE au JAPON

The La Folle Journée au Japon “Days of Enthusiasm” Music Festival is back and has transformed Tokyo into a musical isle. Hailed as the most exciting classical music festival in the world, it features day long concerts held simultaneously in 7 to 9 halls of the Tokyo International Forum. Around 300 of the most distinguished classical musicians all over the world gather to give performances that last about 45 minutes each.

The festival’s artistic director, René Martin, say that his aim “is the true democratization of classical music – presented once a year and at sensible prices.” The festival is a true celebration of classical music open to all who wish to come. Because of this the musical program is very varied and ticket prices are very cheap. Tickets are available for ¥1,500 to ¥3,000.

La Folle Journée runs from April 29 to May 6.

Shunsuke Nakamura Scores the Winning Goal

Shunsuke Nakamura did Japan and Celtic fans proud after scoring the goal at the last minute, winning the Scottish Premier League title for the Celtics. Not surprisingly Nakamura fans all over the world anticipated the Player of the Year Award to go to him. His fans weren’t disappointed. All over Japan people are celebrating with yesterday’s television shows full of coverages about Nakamura’s goal and his subsequent awards.

Nakamura was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan where he began playing competitive football at the early age of five. By the time he was in fifth grade his talent and skill was very apparent earning him a place in Yokohama City’s All-Star Team tour of the former Soviet Union. At that time he was an exception since the team is really supposed to be composed of sixth graders only. From then on he went from success to success earning his reputation as one of the most prominent of, not only Japan’s, but Asia’s soccer players.

Japan’s Geishas - Living Art

Geishas are the subject of much speculation from any other world outside Japan. Despite their fame the western world and even other eastern cultures do not completely understand the mystique that surrounds geishas. According to Liza Dalby, an American anthropologist who did research on geishas, the misunderstandings are probably due to the fact that there is no comparable group to them in other societies and so people have no basis on which to compare them to. Geishas are often mistaken by people as some kind of elite prostitutes, which is definitely not the case. In fact the word geisha comes from gei, meaning art, and sha, meaning a person.

To be a geisha one has to be well-trained in the traditional manner, etiquette, and various arts. One will need to master not only the intricacies of wearing a kimono but seemingly mundane stuff such as how to greet customers properly, how to serve a meal, and how to make conversation. Geishas aim to entertain but are at the same time a living piece of art.