A short look at robotics and android development in Japan with Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro and his seriously pissed off looking android twin.  The one he made of his daughter is a bit disturbing and the female one must have had some bad oil for lunch since she went crossed eyed several times.

An episode of 一期一会 (Ichigoichie aka 151a - opposite youths meet) where two girls; one a seiyuu idol in the geinokai (entertainment business) in Tokyo, the other a regular schoolgirl from a small city meet and visit each others respective towns.

(2008.06.02) Top Runner - Aya Hirano 平野綾 (part2) - Note: Top Runner showcases people who are making an impact in their industry.

(2008.06.02) Top Runner - Aya Hirano 平野綾 (part1) - Note: Top Runner showcases people who are making an impact in their industry.

Tokyo is a metropolis of high rise skyscrapers above ground.  But little do many realize the vast underground world that exists below the city.  Underground shopping arcades and the subway are just one aspect. There are also underground storehouses which contain emergency supplies in the event of a disaster. The National Diet Library is also built mostly underground (4 floors above, 8 floors below) in order to store the ever growing collection of books. A huge network of tunnels also run under the cities roadways which helps to consolidate the various utilities and to help protect them in case of a major earthquake.

Japanese rice also known as japonica is of the short-grain variety.  Several varieties exist including brown rice (genmai), polished white rice, and mochigome which is used for making mochi.  A byproduct of the polishing process is rice bran (komenuka) which is often used in pickling or reused as fertilizer.  Rice in Japan is often cooked in a rice cooker.  The rice is first washed until the water becomes clear to remove the coating (in the past, this used to be a form of talc to help keep bugs away but today, the powder is often how rice is fortified with nutrients).  Leaving this powder will often result in cooked rice that has a pasty consistency.  Before cooking, it is usually soaked in water for a period of time (between 30 minutes to an hour).  The soaking process allows water to penetrate into the kernel and allow for more even cooking during the steaming process.  When prepared properly (rice cookers do the boiling and then steaming process all automatically), the cooked rice has a sticky texture.

Advancements in mobile game software have made the portable devices useful outside of their original market.

The food floors in Japanese department stores are known as depachika (デパ地下) which is shorthand for depato no chika shokuhin uriba (デパートの地下食料品売り場) or department store basement food selling place. They are major attractions that bring in customers which can generate over 25% of the stores revenue. Careful and extensive planning takes place in terms of how the floor is setup, how and where items are displayed, the different types of product mix. There is always a constant flow of activity and vendors will often be yelling a hearty "irrasshai" and offering samples in order to attract customers.