Okinawa Soba posted a fascinating flickr set of 3D stereoviews of old Japan.

Almos 60 of the stereoviews in this set were photographed by Japanese photographer T. ENAMI [His self-portrait in Japanese Armor is the face of my flickr Icon]. The rest are divided up mostly among works by HERBERT PONTING, HENRY STROHMEYER, AND JULIAN COCHRANE. A few other 3-D photographers from both Japan and abroad are also represented here.

Most of the views were taken during the years 1895 to 1910, with the majority taken ca.1898-1905.

Mike Cash is an American working as a truck driver in Japan.  While on the road and at the wheel he takes beautiful photos of Japanese culture and environments.  Link to his gallery, Japan from the Driver's Seat.

[Pictured:  cropped photo of "Modern Monk" by Mike Cash.  View full image here.]

When a Japanese man was baffled as to how food kept disappearing from his kitchen, he decided to set up a hidden camera which found something quite unsettling.

The 57-year-old unemployed man of Fukuoka in southern Japan called police Wednesday when the camera sent pictures to his mobile phone of an intruder in his home while he was out on Wednesday, the Asahi newspaper said on its Website.

Officers rushed to the house and found a 58-year-old unemployed woman hiding in an unused closet, where she had secreted a mattress and plastic drink bottles, the Asahi said. Police suspect she may have been there for several months, the paper said.

Every year in Japan, sumo wrestlers are paired off with infants in a ring.  The amateur wrestlers hold up the infants into the air and the infant who cries first is the winner.  If the infants cry at the same time then the loudest infant wins. 

The purpose of the contest is to pray for children's healthy growth.

Link, Link to photo gallery [via]

I found this image when I was using google to research bamboo for a logo project. Everything for me stopped when I saw this. Actual location is in Kyoto, Japan (where my grandmother is actually from)--- a pathway (for miles I think) of these massive bamboo trees. I have to go back to Kyoto and walk through this.

Just stare into it and imagine being there. It's my desktop image at work and I look at it when my mind needs a mini vacation.

Thought I'd share something positive today.

Sagano: bamboo forest

Yuki-taro is a self-guided robot snowplow in Japan that uses GPS and cameras to eat up snow and poop out snow bricks.  Link to video.  [via meshly]

A cigarette vending machine, developed by Fujitaka Co., that can identify the approximate ages of the purchasers went on sale on Monday. 

The purchaser must look into a facial recognition camera on the machine.  Within seconds the machine determines if the person is 20 years old (or older), which is the legal age to purchase cigarettes.  If the machine has a difficult time determining the age, the person must insert his or her driver's license into a reader to make a purchase. 

The machine is 90 percent accurate.

Link.

Beauto is a Roomba alternative that you building yourself.  It runs on 4 AAA batteries and can be hacked to become battle-bots or moving display cases for your favorite stuffed animal.  Product page (Japanese)

A 1/70 scale replica of Matsumoto Castle was constructed by some employees of the Nagano branch of the Bank of Japan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the creation of Matsumoto City.  Thousands of yen bills out of circulation were used as the building material.  Link. [via Cribcandy]

I was just getting used to the idea of bathing in wine and sake, but bathing in a pool of flesh eating fish?  Yeah, not my idea of relaxation.

At such a spa, many Garra Rufa, a type of small tropical fish, also nicknamed Chinchin Yu, nibble fish or simply doctor fish, are put in hot springs. As they can live and swim freely in at least 43-degree-hot waters, they are naturally used for the treatment of skin diseases in such spas.

When placed in the spa, these fish can feed themselves on the dead cells of the human body, since they only consume such cells, leaving the healthy skin of the human body to grow. The whole process is reportedly free of pain. It won't hurt and the bather might feel a pleasant tingling on his or her skin.