Sony TV Goes Green

Everyone is doing it, why not Sony? Undoubtedly one of the world’s biggest names – if not THE biggest – in the world of consumer electronics, Sony has always been in the forefront of new technologies. This time, they are working on a green flat screen TV. Not green, the color, but green as in environment friendly.

The new Bravia KDL-32JE1 is supposed to go on sale in Japan on the 30th of July and is reported to cost 150,000 yen – that’s about USD 1402. Of course, the electronics giant is planning on marketing this product in other countries but as of yet, there is no definite news on the dates of release outside of Japan.

So how much greener is the new Bravia? During a demonstration held at the Tokyo headquarters, it was shown that the new model consumes 82 watts. The image displayed was from a Blu-ray disc. Compare this power consumption to 125 watts, which is what a conventional Bravia uses to show the same image, and you can see the considerable difference in energy use.

This works both ways – consumers are able to save on their electricity bill and they are also able to contribute to the environment. Then again, you have to consider the hefty price tag that goes with the new flat screen TV. Of course, if you are already using a Bravia or you are considering getting one, then you might as well shell out a bit more money to save more in the long run, don’t you think?

U.S. Navy Goes Manga

Not everyone loves manga, the Japanese comics. I would say that it does have a considerable following outside of Japan. Needless to say, the Japanese people have a strong passion for manga. Perhaps that is why the U.S. Navy has decided to go with this art form in an attempt to allay the concerns of Japanese citizens with regard to the George Washington, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

The George Washington is to be stationed in Yokosuka and will arrive there in August. The online newspaper Japan Today reports:

The U.S. Navy in Japan said Wednesday it has produced a Japanese ‘‘manga’’ comic book describing the daily life of the crew of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington which will arrive in Yokosuka in August. U.S. Naval Forces Japan, based in the city, plans to give away several thousand copies of the book to people in front of the base from noon Sunday in an apparent bid to dismiss safety concerns over the first nuclear-powered U.S. naval vessel to use a Japanese city as a homeport.

The book ‘‘Manga CVN73,’’ named after the carrier’s number in the U.S. Navy, depicts the hardships of a fictitious young U.S. sailor of Japanese descent engaging in various missions on the carrier and his experiences after the ship arrives in the port city in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Two Japanese cartoonists Harumi Sato and Hiroshi Kazusa did the drawings.

Cmdr Dave Waterman, the chief of the naval force’s Public Affairs Office, told reporters that readers would learn from the comic book that the crew is professional and constantly trains so that damage control in any kind of event can be addressed.

Do you think this approach will work? I cannot say, but I do think that the use of manga is a marvelous idea.

Taspo Card Lent To Teenager

Do you remember the entry we had in April about the smart card that will, ideally, deter teenagers from purchasing cigarettes from vending machines? One of our readers, Jacl, commented on that post:

The only thing is … the machine will not “see” who is actually using the taspo card. If a minor is truly serious in trying to buy cigarettes, it wouldn’t stop the teenager from “borrowing” the taspo card from an adult and using it or finding some other creative ways around it.

Was he right! I was browsing Japanese-related news today when I ran across an article talking about a mother who lent her taspo card to her 15-year-old son! The article from AP goes:

Japanese police are demanding charges against a woman who allegedly lent her 15-year-old son an identification “smart card,” which is being introduced to prevent minors from buying cigarettes from vending machines.

The mother, 41, whose name was not disclosed because she has not been charged, lent her taspo to her son Monday so he could buy cigarettes to smoke in their home, a police official in southwestern Fukuoka prefecture said Tuesday.

Police have sent papers to prosecutors demanding charges of violating the law banning minors from smoking, he said on condition of anonymity because he was merely reading from police records. The maximum penalty is a 10,000 yen (US$96; €62) fine.

If parents themselves do not respect the rationale behind the taspo card, then I suspect that the Japanese government’s campaign may not be as effective as they had foreseen it. Then again, with prosecution as a possibility, then parents might think more than twice before doing something like this.

Yasukuni Shrine Ban Lifted

It cannot be denied that there is a strong worldwide interest in the Japanese culture – and most anything Japanese, in fact. At the same time, there are certain topics that are almost taboo – and one of them is the war. There were many repercussions of what happened many decades ago and the topic is still quite sensitive in some sectors.

This piece of news that I read from The Japan Times seems to foretell a slight shift in ideas:

The government Friday declared null and void a 1949 state-imposed ban on public schools organizing field trips to Tokyo’s war-related Yasukuni Shrine.

The government clarified the point in reply to a query by Takeo Hiranuma, a nationalist ex-trade minister from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is now an independent Lower House lawmaker.

Hiranuma, along with several LDP hawks, was involved in obscuring the international outcry over the wartime sex slave issue and blocking discussion on having a female head the Imperial family.

The government’s answer in a document the Cabinet endorsed Friday said, “It is permissible for schoolchildren to visit Yasukuni Shrine to learn about Japanese history and culture as part of school education. ”

The Shinto shrine in Chiyoda Ward honors Japan’s war dead, as well as convicted war criminals, who were dedicated at Yasukuni in the 1970s.

I am sure that this is a positive step toward acceptance and knowledge, especially for the younger generation.

Shunsuke Nakamura

Though the Japanese may not be as well known for sports as the Chinese are, they do have their own share of nationals who have played or are playing for famous teams in other countries. In the world of football, they have Shunsuke Nakamura, who is currently playing for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

So why are we featuring Shunsuke Nakamura? We actually got wind of him through Patrick Brennan’s e-mail (Thanks, Patrick!). To be honest, I have never heard of him before, so I did some research, and this is what I found on Wikipedia:

He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Europe and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the Champions League and the second Asian player to do so.

He has won the Asian Cup in 2000 and 2004 with the Japanese national football team, and was named Most Valuable Player in the 2004 competition. He has also appeared in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and the 2000 Summer Olympics as a member of the Japanese Under-23 team.

Apparently, his success has become a bitter pill to swallow for fans of their archrival team, the Rangers. They have started (and are continuing) a campaign, which I find particularly offensive due to its racist slant. I do not want to promote racism of any kind but perhaps, if we get the word out, we can stand up against this. The slogan that the Rangers’ fans are using has something to do with the idea that people from Japan eat dog meat – you can see a video on YouTube highlighting this.

It shouldn’t really matter, but just to set the record straight – the Japanese in general do not eat dog. Oh the complexities of race…

Modern Japanese Mascots

Mascots have long been known to be one of the most effective forms of advertising. They seem to have a longer and stronger effect on the recall value of a product or service and many companies are utilizing mascots to benefit their advertising campaign. In Japan, even mascots come in quirky – and sometimes controversial – forms.

Take for instance this modern day Buddha boy, which is the mascot created for the 1,300th anniversary of the relocation of the old capital to Nara.

The little boy is obviously a representation of a young Buddha while the antlers are supposed to stand for the deer that the Nara Park is famous for. I don’t think I have to explain why the mascot is creating quite a stir. For some people, the mascot is quite cute while for others, they feel that it disrespects Buddha. I will not even attempt to pass judgment here but in terms of attracting attention, however, I believe that it has more than achieved its goal.

How about the mascot Marimokkori, a character that is supposed to represent round green algae? He was created for Hokkaido.

Well, he is green…and he looks round…

What can you say about these unique Japanese mascots? Better yet, maybe you have some Japanese mascots of your own to share?

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?

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.

Sanctions Against North Korea Extended

Japan has announced its intent to extend its sanctions against North Korea for another six months due to North Korea’s “insincere efforts to solve the abduction issue”. The abduction issue mentioned here refers to the 17 Japanese kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea acknowledged the kidnapping of 13 of the Japanese citizens and returned 5 of the people in 2002 while claiming that the rest were dead. Japan wants North Korea to account for the 4 missing people as well as address its programs for disarmament.

So far the sanctions, which includes a ban on imports from North Korea, a ban on the entry of North Korean ships to Japanese ports, and a ban of entry of North Korean officials on Japanese soil, seems to have little effect on North Korea’s efforts towards the resolution of the abduction and disarmament issues.

Fighting Global Warming

The Japanese have always been leaders in technology. This time, they are applying their knowledge and skill to combating global warming. In their efforts to reduce global warming, Japanese scientists are trying out a new method of sequestration. They have been testing the burying of CO2 under the seabed in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

According to Murai Shigeo, leader of the RITE carbon dioxide sequestration group, they “have been able to show that carbon dioxide injection in Japan’s particular geological conditions is possible, and computer simulations based on our monitoring activity give a good idea of how the gas will behave over the next thousand years.” The implications of this study are short of amazing.

If found successful, a country would be able to get rid of about 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide in this manner. With the rest of the world becoming more aware of the need to actively fight global warming, this Japanese innovation is indeed very much welcome.
[tags]Japan, science and technology, environment, innovations, carbon dioxide, global warming, sequestration[/tags]