Dekotora: Japan’s long-haul truckers customize their rigs. From Great Big Story.
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The culture of Japan, full of mystery. The Tea Ceremony. Zen Buddhism. Hello Kitty. And now an 18-karat gold Chicken McNugget.
To mark introduction of two new dipping sauces, Fruit Curry and Creamy Cheese, McDonald’s Japan is giving away a solid-gold Chicken McNugget weighing 50 grams (1.8 ounces), worth about $1500. Clues are being dropped on Twitter.
More:
“McDonald’s Japan Is Giving Away a Gold Chicken Nugget,” Elizabeth Licata, The Daily Meal
Isao Tomita, a pioneer of electronic music, died earlier this month at the age of 84. A composer, he was best known for his analog synthesizer arrangements of the classical music canon.
More:
“Isao Tomita Dies at 84; Combined Electronic and Classical Music,” Margalit Fox, New York Times
“Isao Tomita, Japanese pioneer of synthesizer music, dies at 84,” Daisuke Kikuchi, Japan Times
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“Oira no yakyu (Our Baseball Match),” early Japanese animation by Yokohama Cinema Shokai, 1931. Teams: Rabbits versus Tanukis (raccoon dogs).
Yasuji Murata (Director & Animator)
Chûzô Aochi (Director)
Benshi narration by Midori Sawato
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“History of Japan,” by Bill Wurtz. 14,000 years in 9 minutes.
[Note: Definately NOT for K-12]
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“Jin Jin Jingle Bell,” by fashion model, actress, and J-Pop star Nozomi Sasaki. Perhaps Pentaphonic is the rapper on this track. This is a cover of a 1995 song by Moritaka Chisato.
In Japan, Christmas means romance, KFC, and gifts for pets.
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“Aitai Lonely Christmas,” written by Tsunku, recorded by the Japanese idol group C-ute in 2010.
Related:
“In Tokyo, the ‘war on Christmas’ is led by lonely single men,” Yanan Wang, Washington Post
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“Space Christmas,” written by Naoko Yamano and performed by her with her group, Shonen Knife (“Boy Knife”).
“I wanna go to Pluto
I wanna go with you
Oh, I bring space food
They are marshmallow and ice cream”
— – “Space Christmas” lyrics
Christmas is a very different holiday in Japan, more about romance, gifts for pets, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and sweets:
The organizing committee for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has recommended adding five additional sports to the international athletic competition: Baseball/softball, karate, sports climbing, skateboarding, roller derby and surfing.
More:
“One Step Closer: Surfing In The 2020 Olympics,” Jake Tellkamp, Surfing Magazine
“Surfing included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” Surfer Today
“Surfing In Line To Ride The Waves To Olympic Gold In 2020,” Jill Scanlon, HuffPost Australia
“World Surf League relishes chance to showcase surfing to Olympic audience at Tokyo 2020 Games,” Anthony Pancia, ABC News (Australia)
“Surfing as an Olympic Sport for the Tokyo Games?” Bill Dorman, Hawaii Public Radio
“Surfing and skateboarding among proposed additions for 2020 Olympics,” David Wharton, Los Angeles Times
“Surfing makes cut for Tokyo Games but not squash,” Jacquelin Magnay, The Australian
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Image (“The Great Wipeout Off Kanagawa, after Hokusai”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Mount Fuji, Fujisan, is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains,” a place of ancient shrines, a designated national Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty. UNESCO added Mt. Fuji to the World Heritage List, noting it had “inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries.” The tallest peak in Japan, a volcano, the distinctive mountain has long been a place to contemplate the wonders of nature.
All Mt. Fuji needed was decent digital connectivity. That’s why NTT Docomo collaborated with Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures to offer free Wi-Fi hotspots on Fujisan from July 10th to September 10th. We mark the occasion in haiku:
Climbed the rocky slope
Clutching my iPad tightly
Opened your email
More:
“Climbers to get free Wi-Fi on Mount Fuji,” Kohei Watanabe, Asahi Shimbun
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Image (“WiFi on Mount Fuji, after Utagawa Toyoshige”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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