Since 1982, the International Research Center for Japan Studies has been amassing comprehensive archives and online databases that are pretty much guaranteed to put non-scholars to sleep. Research projects include the Bibliography of Family History and Historical Demography, the Archaeological Spatial Analysis by Geographic Information System, and a History of the Otake Buddha. But a ...
The recently released DetectFace from Increment could hardly be called original—programs with similar functionality have been on the market for years. Yet Increment is making waves by offering its version to web developers for free. Interested parties can preview the app on one of the two test sites on the company’s main page. Pandara picks ...
Twitter is fun, but let’s face it—the bright, shiny newness of it all has just about worn off. If your relationship with the SNS has fallen into a rut, spice things up a bit with Soukan Tsuiman. This ingenious little site can take any Twitter account and display it in manga format. Simply type in ...
Okay, so it may be June already, but if you’re still suffering from a touch of the gogatsu-byo May blues, try adding a little art to your walls. With a new site called Art-Meter, you can get original, one-off prints, paintings and illustrations on the cheap while at the same time supporting amateur artists. The ...
Avid manga readers must develop a knack for juggling characters and keeping track of all of the complicated plotlines in their favorite ongoing series. But they also need to stay on top of each new volume’s release date. That’s where Book-Off Online’s new Demachi Mail service comes in. Once you’ve logged in to the discount ...
Critics come in all shapes and sizes, but none of them are quite like Grumpy Jii-san. Once a week or so, this gray-haired Arizonan heads out into the desert, sets up his video camera, and proceeds to give his opinion on all manner of Japanese anime. From classics like Tezuka’s Metropolis (discussed atop Vulture Peak) ...
Stop by your favorite restaurant or bar and “check in” online so your friends know where to find you. Visit the same spot enough times, and you become eligible for special offers and discounts. For users of Foursquare and other similar mobile SNS programs, this is familiar territory—at least in most major US cities. Japanese ...
Addicted to the word “lol” even though you may not actually be laughing? There’s a Facebook group for that. Frequently burst into song as if you were the star of your own Broadway musical? There’s a Facebook group for that, too. Now we bring you a group that is sure to bring a smile to ...
Hot on the heels of last year’s guerilla ad campaign for Lupin Steal Japan, in which various landmarks around the city mysteriously (and temporarily) disappeared, comes a new interactive advertising blitz from the makers of Stride gum. The campaign kicked off earlier this month when passersby in Shibuya were startled to note that the faithful ...
Popular radio stations may still attract a large slice of the population in car-dependent countries like the US, but Japan’s train-centric commuter culture creates an entirely different demographic. Recently launched Radiko.jp offers round-the-clock live streaming of the major FM stations, which in Tokyo includes TBS Radio, Tokyo FM, Inter FM, J-Wave, Radio Nikkei and Nippon ...
The latest example of Japan’s obsession with all things food-related can be seen in the flurry of interactive websites revolving around things to eat (remember last year’s Angry Whopper promotion?). Now Ajinomoto, purveyor of the eponymous seasoning (a.k.a. MSG in a bottle), recently created its own version: Neo Tamago Kake Gohan, featuring that cheapskate’s delight ...
One of Japan’s most popular shopping traditions is tsumehodai, literally “all you can stuff,” where crowds of elbow-jabbing obaachan fight to cram as many items as possible into a prix-fixe plastic bag. The experience, obviously, is not for the faint of heart. But as happens so often in this digital age, a website has come ...
It’s probably not fair to say that people in general are more annoying than they were 20 years ago, but it’s certainly true that the advent of the internet—and all the blogs, SNS and forum sites that sprung up with it—has given the more vocal members of society a place to air their grievances. And ...
Despite the current so-called e-book boom, the jury is still out on how far Japan’s major players will go along with the digital publishing revolution. But a few houses, have shown that they are willing to explore the possibilities. Weekly manga magazine Comic Bunch is now available to read, in its entirety, via the publisher’s ...
Ever wished you had a personal shopper who could instantly call up a list of movie, book or music recommendations impeccably tailored to your likes and interests? Well, with Tsutaya’s new Concierge service, that dream has come a little closer to reality. When users login to the (Japanese-only) cellphone site, they fill out a basic ...
Anime fans, sit up and take note—the polls are finally open for the fourth annual Seiyu Awards. The annual ceremony honors Japan’s anime voice actors in categories like best lead and supporting actor and actress, best new talent, personality and best song. Last year saw the introduction of a new category, the Overseas Fans’ Choice ...
If you thought Tokyo’s shops had some fun and funky products lining their shelves, wait till you get a load of Japan’s online auctions. Looking for a rare vintage Gundam item? No problem. Got to get your hands on that hard-to-find debut photo book from your favorite idoru? Sure thing! For the kanji-challenged, however, popular ...
Next time you find yourself stuck on a long train ride, don’t just stare out the window or try to steal glances at your seat-mate’s newspaper. PlaySay, a new online tool for language learning on the go, will help you make the most of your downtime. Unlike other vocabulary-building programs, PlaySay provides interactive audio-visual flashcards ...
For the past several years, angst-ridden Japanese high school girls typing away on their cell phones have shared the same dream: find a publisher to release their novel as a book—hopefully with a star-studded movie adaptation to follow—then bask in their newfound pop-culture stardom. But now self-publisher Logpaper has come along to cut out the ...
Ever wonder where Yo-Yo Ma likes to grab a bite? Or how about Tony Hawk’s favorite heli-skiing spot? The ever-innovative folks at Google have recently introduced Favorite Places—a new map feature that allows you to find out all this and more. Experts, trendsetters and cultural icons from around the world all get a mention, with ...
Metropolis – Multimedia
While we hear there are still a few Stone-Age companies that ban employees from sites like Gmail and YouTube, such draconian practices are, for the most part, a thing of the past. Still, even if we’re technically free to browse the interwebs as we please, brazenly checking Twitter under your boss’ watchful eye is perhaps ...