Japan's population crisis just hit a 67-year low
Ever since 1950 when Japan began tracking its population of children, the number has never been as low as it is today. New data from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry finds the po…
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banzaitokyo's articles — page 92
Browse banzaitokyo's articles in the Akihabara archive.
Tokyo jeweler offers gold Darth Vader mask for $1.4-million
Tokyo jeweler Ginza Tanaka is offering a life-size Darth Vader mask made of 24-karat gold at a hefty price of 154-million yen ($1.9-million) to mark the 40th anniversary of the re…
No smoking law; public says not just for Olympics, not just for Tokyo
With Tokyo Olympics coming up, one of the hot topics is that the International Olympic Committee and the WHO have agreed that they should promote a smoke-free Olympics, in order to protect again…
A New Champion Appears
Thirty-year-old Kisenosato Yutaka finally ascended to sumo’s highest rank in January this year, after claiming his maiden top-division championship. In doing so, he became the first Ja…
Manga Artist Kiyohiko Azuma’s Urban Sketches of Japan
Kiyohiko Azuma is a manga artist perhaps best known for his series Yotsuba&! about the naïve 5-year old Yotsuba who humorously stumbles her way through life. Stylistically, Yotsuba…
Yuasa Town: The Birthplace of Soy Sauce
Soy Sauce is said to have originated in China and then brought over to Japan by a Buddhist monk who settled down in current-day Wakayama Prefecture in 1254. Using the abundance of clear, spring …
Billionaire Taizo Son wants to fund your crazy startup. No biz plan needed
Taizo Son onstage at Tech in Asia’s Startup Asia conference 2014. Southeast Asia has a new billionaire, and he wants to invest in unconventional startups who can help him reimagine city living.…
Wrapping Your Shoes Like Furoshiki
The Japanese tradition of furoshiki is an important one. These beautiful square clothes are used for any number of functions, but they’re probably most easily recognized as the fabric used for wrappi…
Keeping Japan’s Traditional Music Alive: Koto Player Curtis Patterson
Chicago-born Curtis Patterson has lived in Japan since 1986, dedicating himself to the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument something like the harp. In addition to composing and performing mu…
Docomo designed flying spherical displays
The device comprises a spherical external frame, an internal LED frame consisting of a series of eight curved LED strips that extend from top to bottom, a drone fitted inside the sphere and legs prot…