Toyota has begun building malls stocked with their cars, since consumers in Japan would rather cruise the shops than shop for a cruiser. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Inspired perhaps by the golden phoenix bird perched upon its roof, Japan's ethereal Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion has risen from the ashes to reclaim its 600-year-old original glory. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Blogging is a passion in Japan, to the point that if you DON'T have a blog, you're hopelessly behind the times. With 1.5 million new blog posts every day, even Sumo wrestlers have blogs - at least, top-level wrestler Kotoshogiku does. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Leonardo da Vinci may have helped illustrate a Renaissance treatise on chess that was found in the library of an aristocratic family in Gorizia, northern Italy. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Mimicking his master, a 1 1/2-year-old black-and-white Chihuahua named Conan joins in the daily prayers at Naha's Shuri Kannondo temple, sitting up on his hind legs and putting his front paws together before the altar. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

This series of 6 Drunken Salaryman cellphone charms illustrates not only the affection Japanese have for these pillars of the economy, but at the same time reminds us that we're all human and act pretty much the same once we've had a few too many. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Results of a new study suggest that cheese from yak, grazed on Himalayan alpine pastures, may have a more healthful fatty acid composition compared to cheese manufactured from dairy cattle fed grain-based diets. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Made with Molecules jewelry is a combination of art and science, with each design made with recycled materials and representing a particular molecular inspiration. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Wasabi, or Japanese Horseradish, has a particularly pungent taste and scent. Now researchers in Japan are using Wasabi's overpowering odor in a new type of smoke detector / fire alarm that wakes the deaf through scent instead of sound. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

The winter of 2007-08 has been so long and so snowy, even famously law-abiding Canadians are being bent beyond the breaking point. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

A Finnish library-goer apparently thought 'better late than never' and quietly returned a book on loan for more than 100 years to a library in Vantaa, in southern Finland. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

The calming effect results from your pooch watching you giggle uncontrollably every time you look at him/her. Available in Lip, Tongue, Teeth and Chicken. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

A gunman in Thailand shot-dead eight neighbours after tiring of their karaoke versions of popular songs including John Denver's Country Roads. Let the "greatest hits" jokes begin. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

A "deliberately primitive" design of a matchstick man has been chosen for a new €2 coin. Long gone are the days when coins were miniature showcases of the engraver's art. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

"The biggest problem is how to conceive, because liquid cannot be spilt under the condition of weightlessness. But they do not need a bed in space. They can love each other in the air." Boy howdy, PRAVDA sure ain't what it used to be! picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Getting drunk to the point where you begin to lose your senses should be a conscious choice. If you actually ARE blind and sober, and wish to remain the latter, then Japanese brewers have got your best interests in mind. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Two German air force sergeants are facing courts martial after drawing their own blood to make traditional sausage. picked by Mitzuzake 7 months ago

Takao Doi, the Japanese astronaut who'll be testing whether a boomerang will fly in space , now has something else to live down: he'll be the living test-bed for a new underwear fabric said to provide "high levels of deodorant, antiseptic and antistatic effect" in space. picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

An eight-foot-tall animatronic model of GORT, the robot from "The Day The Earth Stood Still", is currently up for auction on eBay. According to the ad, "the robot hasn't been activated in years." So be careful, and remember: Klaatu Barada Nikto! picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

Yes, it’s musical. And yes, it’s clearly marked for rectal use. It actually plays the Spongebob theme in your a$$ when your temperature is taken! picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

For mobile gamers in western Japan, a hearty seafood dinner awaits just a few key clicks away, thanks to a unique new cellphone fishing game that rewards successful players with home deliveries of fresh, real-world fish. picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

It comes as a cellphone charm, a candy/pill dispenser and a samba whistle. Yes, a samba whistle. And yes, it's from Japan. picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

A 37-year-old Mesa AZ man who tried to buy a watch with two counterfeit $100 bills containing a watermark of Abraham Lincoln was arrested on forgery charges, police said. Then it gets weird... picked by Mitzuzake 8 months ago

It seems that reports of 4-ft tall, green-skinned, non-humanoids roaming Japan's airports carrying off travelers' bags was somewhat exaggerated... they're RoboPorters! picked by mitzuzake 8 months ago

Laura Moon, a rare teenage girl with four kidneys has vowed to donate her extra organs after hearing about the plight of a three-year-old cancer sufferer. picked by mitzuzake 8 months ago