Solar CellPhone Charger

Trust the japanese to come up with not only useful gadgets but darn cute one .. like this Hello Kitty solar Cellphone charger.  Unlike the 115334 vacuum motor this seems a lot less complicated eh.   This mini solar charger is so light .. it is also eco friendly.  But note that it only gives like 500 charges and then you have to throw it out and get another one.  But it’s darn cute.. and i’ll take this anytime.. then to carry my charger around.  What about you..??

Halloween @ Asakusabashi

Shinjuku is a great place to shop but if you want the really good stuff, I would recommend Asakusabashi - a wholesale area and also known as the handicraft town.   Halloween being round the corner, you can see a lot of Halloween stuff on sale now.

Japanese Pancakes

Well.. it really isn’t pancakes.. but sorta.  It’s actually called Imagawa Yak.  Definitely missing it right now.. and wished i could sink my teeth onto one of this sweet and sugary thing.  Made of eggs, flour and sugar.. it’s pretty popular as a afternoon snack in our office.  Plenty of them sold in the shop houses in Japan - Tokyo .. where office furniture are sold and around Asia.   I love the one in Azabu Jyuban because it was near our office..  at $1 a piece .. you can’t really go wrong with it.   Comes with fillings of red beans.. cheese and peanut or custard, i always get the red bean ones.

Cutting Noodles With A Robot

We all know that the Japs are awesome when it comes to inventing new things - i mean look at their electronic streets in Tokyo.. !  and if you have seen their paper thin phone - you know they are the leaders when it comes to any kind of invention.  Impressive is not the word.. becasue if you visit the ramen shoops in Minami - Alps, Yamanshi, you will probably be in awe to seethey have their own robot chef that takes care of the assembly of the noodle bowl while the real chef does the cooking and preparing the noodles but the putting them togehter to create the bowl of your steaming hot ramen is done by the robot.

Customers merely have to input their orders on a computer, and the robot takes care of everything. If you think that this might affect the flavor of the soup somehow, then you are right – but only in the best possible way! The robot can customize the flavors depending on the preferences of the customer. It can measure the different spices and flavorings – up to 40 million different permutations! From the amount of salt, soy sauce, and down to the richness of the soup, you can be sure to have a perfect bowl to match your tastes!

The shop owner, Yoshihara Uchida, is quite proud of his achievement. He worked on this robot for quite a while, meeting a lot of hurdles along the way. Finally, after five years of working on the robot, Uchida was able to launch his creation in December of 2008. He dreams of mass producing this robot and making a name for himself.

3D Digital Camera

A Japanese camera maker has developed the world’s first compact digital camera featuring a three-dimensional image system that allows three-dimensional still and moving images to be viewed with the naked eye. The system comprises three elements: a 3-D digital camera which captures an image exactly as your eyes see it, a 3-D digital photo frame, and 3-D prints. It is planned for release in 2009, taking digital cameras into a new era.

The 3-D digital camera has two lenses. When we humans view an object with our two eyes, our right and left eyes view the object from somewhat different angles. This makes the right and left images slightly different, and the two images are synthesized in our brains so that we see the object three-dimensionally. Theoretically, therefore, a camera should also be able to reproduce three-dimensional images if it is equipped with two lenses, one each on the right and left.

New & Yummy Japanese Snacks

I’ll have to say that the Japanese makes the best snacks.. in the world. They are worth every penny you pay for them.. because they are made of quality ingredients, unlike the China products or the products from the West.  But like all Japanese products even the  sd flash memory that I had bought, the ones made in Japan were far better quality .. than the ones make elsewhere.  Service is impeccable.. and you rarely see rude sales men.. or ppl.  Gotta love Japan.

Ice Cream Puff

Not that crazy I assure you .. because in Japan.. you can see gals dressed up all in anime costumes.  These however can be found in LA  - a japanese store that specialises in bringing you .. all the good stuff from Japan.  So no worries about finding your hello kitty .. and feeding your fetish.  Now if only they have some plus light bulbs for sale… and i’ll be flying over to get some.

Antique Mall In Japan

The Ginza Mall is home to approximately 300 shops that sell European, Asian and Japanese antiques as well as antique Kimonos, fabric and Japanese furniture.  Visit the shops in the mall to find that one of a kind treasure that will always remind you of your time in Tokyo or pick up some great souvenirs for your friends and family.  Conveniently located just off Ginza’s famous Chou Dori, the Antique Mall Ginza is easily accessible from a number of number of Tokyo Metro Stations and is open daily from 11AM to 7PM except on Wednesdays.

Shop Signs In Japan

Some shop signs found in Japan.. during my trip there.

Simple but yet bold

Nice and red!

Woody feel

Very Yellow

Japanese Cabinet

This is a very beautiful Japanese cabinet.  Love the red lacquer design.. and it’s inspired by chinese craftmanship from the 18th century.   Some of the cabinets and their door hardware are really unique .. and one can find this kinda of furniture very popular in japense homes.  I would love the mixig and matching but shipping is so expensive .. it’s just not feasible to buy them online.