Japan Pulse

Here are the latest Pulsations, links to fresh stories and visuals about Japan, shout-outs to fellow bloggers, and highly clickable stuff that we think you might enjoy.

In no particular order, they are . . .

• Japan’s Latest Culinary Adventure: Mayonnaise Art  (from Weird Asia News): Think creating designs by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso is so yesterday? Try making mayo masterpieces on your beloved okonomiyaki.

• YAKUZA ENCOUNTERS: My Very Brief Fight with a Yakuza (from Yakuza Watch): Ever wondered what could happen if you were to intervene in a yakuza beatdown?

• Grand Pacific Le Daiba x Gundam Tokyo Front ‘Project Room-G’ (from Gundam Guy): This Gundam-themed suite is paradise on earth for Gundam fans. One fan, Gundam Guy, takes us on an incredibly detailed virtual tour through a “Room-G Special Type” suite.

• Cheapo Weekend for September 29/30: Gazing Moonward and an Edo Era ‘Time Slip’ (from Tokyo Cheapo): Looking to start off the autumnal weekend without having to empty your pockets? Check out these events which are either free or cheap.

• “Robot Restaurant” Opens in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho District – Come See Girls Riding Robots (from Yattar Japan): Got ¥3000 to spare for a dinner and a show? Yattar gives a front-row, photo-filled account of the antics of the sexy female androids and their human pilots.

Visual Pulse:

Need something to perk you up at work besides coffee? Try Morning Rescue, a Japanese energy drink popularized by the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica.” What would you do if a group of men dressed in orange overalls smashed through your ceiling and popped up right next to you so early in the morning?

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Here are the latest Pulsations, links to fresh stories and visuals about Japan, shout-outs to fellow bloggers, and highly clickable stuff that we think you might enjoy.

In no particular order, they are . . .

• Sendai-shi: This isn’t just one post . . . it’s one whole blog of WWII photos, taken by Abraham Lincoln. Intrigued yet?
• Generation gap in Japan (from What Japan Thinks): Japan, here’s looking at you, over four key generations.
• soba rocks @ Fuji Rock – and other festival food faves (from tokyo food file): Japan Times’ wandering food writer surveys festival chow.
• Don’t Suffer – Live Life Positively – Learn! (from Kurashi): You too can learn how to overcome the black thoughts with these expert-approved mental techniques!  Let’s re-team together!
• George Psalmanazar, the famous fraud of Formosa (from Mutant Frog Travelogue): OK, so it’s only tangentially about Japan but a fascinating tale nonetheless.
• Using Kid’s Songs to Learn Japanese (from Tofugu): Because it’s so much more fun that way.
• Awesome Gundam Statue Time-Lapse Videos (from Altfista.com): And a little eye-sweet for dessert.

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Read the comic? Saw the the movie? Ready to buy some awesome, one-of-a-kind merchandise to show your loyalty? Well, obviously someone knows what you like.

Today Softbank revealed a Gundam-themed cell phone. The 945SH G Ver.GP30th comes complete with a super-cool charger stand on which stands a iconic RX-78-2 Gundam figure. Even more exciting, while it charges, a special movie will be shown on the phone’s screen. Each one can be individually decorated by the user with Gundam stickers so that no two are the same. Makes you go all tingly, doesn’t it?

The Gundam phone is waterproof, has a touch-panel display and other features include GPS and WiFi. While the phone won’t available till mid-December, Softbank will start taking pre-orders from tomorrow at their online shop.

Also on pre-sale are these funky One Piece sneakers. Of the four available designs, three come in a checkered pattern with skull motif, and the the fourth displays a print of the One Piece comic strip. Designed by Baroque Works, the sole is embossed with the One Piece logo, so budding Pirates can leave their mark when exploring uncharted lands. They cost ¥6,825 and pre-sales close on June 21; unfortunately, you won’t actually be able to put them on until after Aug. 1, when they’re scheduled to ship.

To celebrate the launch of Takashi Miike’s “Zebraman 2: Zebraman Strikes Back,” Arinco are serving up a Zebraman-themed Swiss roll cake named after Zebraman’s catchphrase: “Shiro Kuro Tsukeruze Roll” (Let’s turn on the black-and-white Swiss roll). The black stripes are achieved by rolling in cocoa to the white sponge. Those buying the cake will receive a free Zebraman tote bag along with their cake. Costing ¥2,100, the cake will be on sale at Patisserie de Paradis until May 31.

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This summer, Tokyo was in the grips of some serious Gundam fever. To mark the 30th anniversary of one of Japan’s most beloved protectors, a massive 1/1 scale replica was built in Odaiba, making the shopping and entertainment area a temporary otaku Mecca.

Now that the fever is subsiding and the famous robot has been disassembled, those whose still thirst for all things Gundam (and there are many) may find Akihabara’s “New Type” bar of interest — that is, of course, if you also enjoy the company of cross-dressing men. Leave it to Japan with its ever-evolving cosplay, host-club, hostess-club and cafe cultures,  to dream up New Type: a Gundam-themed transvestite bar.

Interestingly, New Type is only open late night on weekends, as the staff are all salarymen with regular jobs (now that I’ve seen their evening attire, I’d be curious to see their daytime ensembles). Return guests will be delighted to hear that entrance fees lower as one rises in “rank” at the bar: from ¥1300 a drink as a “Private” all the way down to ¥0 as an “Admiral.”

Image of the fabulously bejeweled, fan-made Gundam from Pink Tentacle

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