Presenting the one and only Capsule Inn Akihabara. Capsule Inns could be thought of as low-end hotels. Typically, capsule inns are comprised of a public lounge and the capsule area (pic above). The public lounge space features complete amenities like the bath and dining areas. The capsules themselves are made of reinforced plastic and are designed after airplane’s cockpit areas. They’re full loaded with TVs, alarm clocks, and even adjustable lighting. Best of all, one capsule at capsule inns typically cost only around JPY4,000 per night.  Truthfully though, I must say, the pic above makes it look like a morgue more than a hotel. But then, it might all change when I see the inn in person. Anyone want to sponsor me a trip to Akiba?

Did you know that for a boomerang to do a 360 and return right back to its throwing spot, you need to be in ZERO gravity? And nobody has ever tried it yet. So now, Takao Doi, a 53-year-old Japanese astronaut is set to make history by being the first man in space to throw a boomerang. Doi is traveling to the International Space Station in March to be in charge of the construction of a Japanese scientific testing room. What better way to unwind a bit in space other than throwing boomerangs, right? Doi is doing the boomerang test when Yasuhiro Togai, a boomerang throwing champ from Osaka, requested him to do so. In fact, Doi has taken boomerang throwing lessons from said champ in preparation for the event. Good luck, Doi-san!

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You’d think using Hello Kitty and rifle in one sentence would be an oxymoron. But nope, it’s not. Just take a look at this Hello Kitty rifle. And yes, folks. That’s 100% real rifle. It would be such a joy to have had Arnold Schwarzenegger gun down his enemies in Terminator using this. It would have been so “girly man.”

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Ever wonder how it is to learn English for aerobics-gear clad women? Wonder no more. The Zuiikin Girls are here to save the day. The following are videos of some English lessons I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

He gives his sincere regards.

Video 3

English phrases taught:

I was robbed by two men!

Spare me my life.

Thanks PMT. You rock.

Koda Kumi, wearing black and looking haggard, appeared in front of Japanese TV audiences last Thursday in Fuji TV news program to apologize for something she said on air.”I think the way I spoke was really not good … I’m sorry,” Kuu reportedly says.

What exactly did she say, you ask? Well, the Japanese diva apparently commented on women’s amniotic fluid (the fluid which supports the development of the fetus inside the uterus), saying that it becomes “rotten” once a woman turns 35…uhu.

That’s so not hot, Kuu. In a few years’ time, you’ll be turning 35, and based on YOUR logic, YOUR amniotic fluid would rot. Just goes to show that someone needs to watch more of Discovery channel.

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With Japan’s innate fashionable culture, something like this shouldn’t be a surprise. But it is. This software lets you see what you look like with various hairstyles and face paints in REAL TIME. I imagine this would be a staple in beauty salons in the near future.

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It might sound a bit weird, but groping in the jam-packed sardine-like trains of Japan is rampant. While there ARE men with lascivious intentions, there are also those who’re wary of getting falsely accused. This portable subway strap is a great way for people to know where your hands are — and they’re not anywhere near anyone’s girly (or guyly…cough…) bits. This, by the way, sold out quite quickly. Just goes to show there are still more good men on earth. Err…right?

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4 banners. 84 different poses. 14 meters in length. 2 meters in height. Namie Amuro is the new face of Vidal Sassoon in Japan and the subways are covered in her ginormous ad banners. Ch-ch-ch-check it out!

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Watch the official PV of Heart Station and listen to an HQ radio rip of Stay Gold. Heart Station/Stay Gold is Hikki’s new single to be released on February 19. Her newest Japanese studio album, Heart Station, is also coming out on March!

Japan has always been an earthquake-prone country (1995 Kobe earthquake, remember?). This is due to the fact that Japan is located dab smack in the middle of where some oceanic and continental plates meet. In an effort to prevent the massive death toll during the Kobe earthquake (5,500 people were killed), the government is developing an earthquake warning signal sent to the people via SMS. The technology will be operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The system measures the primary waves, the preliminary weak yet fast moving waves of an impending quake and predicts the route and strength of the S-waves, the secondary slower yet more destructive waves. The location and strength of the S-waves will then be sent to people via the joint efforts of Japan’s three largest mobile phone networks. As of current, the developers project that those nearer the epicenter might not receive an SMS at all due to the nature of the current algorithm. But according to sources, “researchers agree that the possibility of any warning is better than none.”