ANIMAL » JAPAN

Japanese Come Up With the Ultimate Product for Narcissists

Bucky Turco — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:43:20 +0000

Let’s face it, the Japanese are obsessed with robots and it’s only a matter of time before entire populations are replaced by cyborgs. In the meantime, the very rich and vain can get a head start and have their very own robotic doppleganger made as part of “promotional sale at Sogo, Seibu, and Robinson’s department stores” reports Pink Tentacle. And here’s where shit gets really, really scary:

In addition to providing the robot with the owner’s face, body, hair, eyes and eyelashes, Kokoro will model the robot’s facial expressions and upper body movements after the buyer. The robot’s speech will be based on recordings of the owner’s voice.

So what does an Invasion of the Body Snatcher-type version of yourself cost? Not cheap: about $223,000. |Pink Tentacle|

Japanese Golfing Mat Lingerie

Bucky Turco — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:22:21 +0000

This bra, that doubles as a putting mat, proves that the Japanese were put on this planet to cater to every possible fetish that the human race could muster. |MetroUK|

Looking To Japan For Halloween Inspiration

Bucky Turco — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:30:21 +0000

It’s kind of like Halloween all year round in Japan, but that doesn’t mean they don’t turn things up a notch for the widely celebrated holiday. The Japanese also don’t mind dressing up a little early. Here’s a sample of some photos from the recent Tokyo Decadence party that offer but a glimpse of the bizarreness to follow. |AlicePeterPunk|

Swine Flu Infected Robots

Bucky Turco — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:15:31 +0000

The media spread swine flu epidemic has jumped to robots, in Japan. But don’t panic, they were purposefully programmed with the disease for training purposes and the non-human model actually “sweats, convulses, moans, cries tears, and exhibits symptoms not unlike a real human patient infected with the H1N1 virus.” |PinkTentacle|

Fast Food Will Outlive Its Customers

Bucky Turco — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:00:09 +0000

Behold the work of Masakatsu Sashie. The Japanese artists paints giant orbs hovering over the “remains of a failed civilization.” Even more frightening: the self-contained spheres are comprised of scraps from consumer culture, in this case, fast food chains. Pink Tentacle has more of the floating corporate death stars. |PinkTentacle|

Robot Nurse Bear

Bucky Turco — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:46:54 +0000

Why did the Japanese choose a teddy bear appearance for this robot nurse bear that was designed to carry patients around? It has to do with the uncanny valley hypothesis: “when robots and other facsimiles of humans look and act almost like actual humans, it causes a response of revulsion among human observers.” Also, Japan just likes cute shit. |PinkTentacle|

Japanese Break pi Record

Bucky Turco — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:57:31 +0000

The Japanese continue to kick the world’s ass when it comes to levitating trains, gadgets, vending machines, kinky fetishes, and evidently, pi. Researchers there calculated the mathematical constant “to over 2.5 trillion decimal places,” breaking a world record and proving that some ethnic stereotypes are true. |PinkTentacle|

Levi’s Releases T-Shirt for the Master Race

Bucky Turco — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:47:53 +0000

When it comes to Japan, even big brands like Levi’s can get away with shit they would never try in other countries like the U.S. or in this case, Germany. The mega-apparel company dropped this graphic tee, the latest release on behalf of its cool guy sub brand Fenom. While not an exact replica of the iconic logo made famous by a certain ruthless paramilitary group, the official product description doesn’t help their case.

Japan’s Cutesy Construction Equipment

Bucky Turco — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:28:49 +0000

The Japanese take their juvenile fetish of all objects to the construction industry with this new outdoor balloon light seen in Tokyo: “The LightBoy mascot doubles as a lamp, providing nighttime Japanese construction workers with a diffuse, non-glare light source.” |DVICE|

Japan Goes Pirate Hunting

Bucky Turco — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:21:07 +0000

After getting the green light to engage Somali pirates, a Japanese destroyer set sail for the Gulf of Aden to make good on its word. Japan’s navy is authorized to escort its own ships and foreign vessels that request assistance. |AP|