Big in Japan: Solar-powered bra can charge your iPod

by Matthew Firestone on

Unless you’re built like Naomi Campbell, you can go ahead and forget about Victoria’s Secret. After all, anybody with an eco-conscious knows that lingerie is about to go green…

This week here in Tokyo, the famous lingerie maker Triumph International Japan unveiled its environmentally friendly Solar Power Bra.

As demonstrated by the striking models of Triumph, the new bra features a solar panel worn around the stomach, which can produce enough electricity to charge your iPod. It is also made of high quality organic cotton that has met the international textile safety standard “Eco-Tex,” and comes in a lovely Earth-friendly shade of green.

Of course, the best part is that that the bra is equipped with two refillable pouches, which can store drinking water, and alleviate the need to carry around environmentally unfriendly plastic bags. And, if you’re feeling a bit insecure about the size of your bust, fret not as the pouches happen to be located right where you need them!

But, don’t take my word for it, but rather the testimony of the oh-so adorable model Yuko Ishida: “It is very comfortable and I can really feel involved in eco-friendly efforts as well.”

Saving the environment never felt so sexy (^_^)

The release of Triumph’s solar-powered bra couldn’t be timelier, especially since the Hokkaido Toyoko Summit is scheduled to take place from July 7-9 on the northernmost island of Japan. Dubbed the ‘environment summit,’ Hokkaido Toyoko will host the ministers from the Group of 8 developed nations, and will address environmental issues that were raised at their previous summit in Bali.

And, in a country where trends and fads can make or break a product, it’s encouraging to note that being eco-friendly is now the height of fashion in Japan. Indeed, Triumph has already released several other green-themed bits of lingerie including include a bra that turns into a reusable shopping bag, and a bra that uses removable metal chopsticks for under-wire.

Although it should go without saying, let’s be clear on one thing: like the concept cars that make the rounds at international auto shows, Triumph’s line of eco-bras is not actually available for purchase in stores. Quite simply, the problem with the Solar Power Bra is that “people usually cannot go outside without wearing clothes over it,” at least according to Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda. She also added that you can’t wash the bra, or get it wet in the rain as it does have exposed circuitry.

But, the point is that the Solar Power Bra, regardless of how user-unfriendly it might be, can help reshape consumer demands for products that are more environmentally sound. It can also help launch a mainstream dialog over the importance of highlighting climate change at the individual level by demonstrating how we can all play a small role in protecting Mother Earth.

So ladies, what are you waiting for? Ditch those obsolete sports bras and get ready to go green!

(Special thanks to Emily Loos for uncovering this sultry little news item!)

** Photos taken by Katsumi Kasahara (AP), Junko Kimura (Getty Images) and Yoshikazu Tsuno (AFP/Getty Images) **

Big in Japan: Astronauts tell Japanese audience that they believe in aliens

by Matthew Firestone on

If you’re convinced that we’re not alone in the universe, then today’s posting is for you…

Earlier this week, American astronaut Mike Foreman, a mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour, told a Japanese audience that he believes in aliens. According to Foreman, “If we push back boundaries far enough, I’m sure eventually we’ll find something out there…maybe not as evolved as we are, but it’s hard to believe that there is not life somewhere else in this great universe.”

Foreman returned to Earth in March after a sixteen day mission on the Endeavour, which included a Japanese astronaut in its crew. And, while the mission didn’t reveal the presence of alien life forms, Foreman isn’t alone in thinking that the universe may be a crowded place. His comments were backed up by astronaut Gregory Johnson, who stated: “I personally believe that we are going to find something that we can’t explain.”

And, as if Foreman and Johnson didn’t give a convincing enough argument, their comments were also backed up by astronaut Dominic Gorie, who added: “As we travel in space, we don’t know what we’ll find. That’s the beauty of what we do. I hope that someday we’ll find what we don’t understand.”

Do you believe? If so, keep on reading!

Since the press conference was given in Tokyo, perhaps the most convincing testimony came from Mr. Takao Doi, the Japanese astronaut on the Endeavour mission, who agreed that “life like us must exist.”

Given that Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Mr. Nobutaka Machimura previously stated that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) most likely exist, these comments couldn’t have come at a better time.

At a prior press conference Machimura announced that in the event that a UFO was discovered inside Japan’s sovereign airspace, fighter planes would be scrambled to confirm the nature of the object.

However, Mr. Machimura regretted to announce that the government’s response measures ended there as there were no mechanisms in place for dealing with an actual alien landing. Of course, Mr. Machimura was quick to emphasize that the Japanese government was not aware of any confirmed cases whereby a UFO was actually discovered.

But he did reiterate the urgent need to try and scientifically confirm whether or not UFOs exist because of what he called incessant reports of sightings. Although to date most UFO sightings in Japan have either been birds, planes or other easily explainable objects, Mr. Machimura was proud to announce that he believes they definitely exist.

Now, I’ve never been one to give too much lip service to wild rumors and conspiracy theories regarding the presence of extraterrestrial life. With that said, I do think that the opinions of four astronauts along with a high-ranking Japanese government official may hold a little more weight than the mad ravings of some farmer in the middle of Nebraska (no offense to farmers or to Nebraskans!).

So, on that note, I guess today’s posting brings about the simple question:

Have you ever seen an alien or a UFO? If so, care to comment?

Big in Japan: New cigarette vending machines can count your wrinkles

by Matthew Firestone on

One of the things first-time visitors to Japan never seem to stop marveling about is the country’s futuristic vending machines. Indeed, it’s possible to get pretty much anything out of a vending machine here, from hot ramen and frozen ice cream bars to clean T-shirts and used school girl panties…

However, the retail landscape across Japan is about to change dramatically, thanks to a new type of cigarette vending machine that can actually count your wrinkles! In an effort to prevent underage smokers from illegally purchasing cigarettes, a Japanese company has developed a vending machine that can check a smoker’s age by studying the lines on their face.

Fujitaka’s new cigarette vending machines will employ an advanced facial recognition system that compares a buyer’s bone structure, skin sag, brow wrinkles and crow’s feet against a record of more than 100,000 people. If the buyer fails the visual scan, they will be required to insert their ID card into the machine in order to verify that they are of legal age to smoke.

If this new technology catches on, it looks like Botox users might have some difficulty buying cigarettes in the years to come (^_^)

The new cigarette vending machines are the latest effort to combat underage smoking in Japan. While the trend has been in steady decline over the last few years, a recent study showed that 14% of boys and 4% of girls aged 17 and 18 smoke every day.

According to company spokesman Mr. Hajime Yamamoto: “With face recognition, so long as you’ve got some change and you are an adult, you can buy cigarettes like before. The problem of minors borrowing identification cards to purchase cigarettes could be avoided as well.”

The new vending machines come at a time when tobacco companies are facing increased scrutiny from both the general public and the Japanese government.

Starting in July, companies owning cigarette vending machines can be prosecuted for the sale of tobacco to anyone under the legal age. In a country where there are more than half a million cigarette vending machines, the legal implications of this new law are severe.

The Japanese finance minister has already granted permission for all cigarette vending machines to start requesting either a smart ID card or driver’s license as a means of verifying age.

However, it is possible that facial scans may also become standardized across the country. At present, the only foreseeable problem is the so-called “grey zone for baby-faced adults,” though this could be overcome by simply asking buyers to also insert their smart card.

Regardless of where your convictions lie in the public debate over smoking, I think it’s safe to say that everyone agrees that kids shouldn’t smoke (at least I hope so!).

Besides, in an age where the quest to look forever young has become something of an obsession, you may soon be able to get confirmation of your visible youth by simply buying a pack of cigarettes!

Then again, smoking does cause irreversible aging of the skin, so perhaps it’s best to go easy on the Marlboros…

Big in Japan: So how exactly do you eat an eel?

by Matthew Firestone on

Answer: Grilled over hot charcoals, basted with special sauce and served over a bed of white rice.

This month marks the start of the unagi (?????) season in Japan, namely the time of the year when freshwater eels are fat, fresh and ready for feasting. Now, I know the idea of eating something as slick and slimy as an eel might not exactly be the most appealing thing for Western pallets. But, I can assure you that freshwater eels, if prepared properly, are just as delicious as they are nutritious.

Freshwater eels are extremely high in protein, vitamin A and calcium, yet they sit light enough in the stomach to be enjoyed on a hot summer day in Tokyo. And, while a meal of unagi costs less than a bottle of Viagra, it is believed to increase your virility (ie make you a champ in the sack!).

Not surprisingly, unagi shops across the country are getting ready for their annual rush of suit-clad salarymen, who line up for unadon (??, literally eel bowl), a bowl of sticky rice topped with grilled eel filets that are coated with a sweet and tangy sauce.

Getting hungry? Keep on reading to find out more.

For starters, what exactly is a freshwater eel? Good question!

In Japan, the most common species that you find on the menu is the Anguilla japonica, a species of eel found in Japan, Korea, the East China Sea and the northern Philippines. Like most eels of its family, it is “catadromous,” which is a fancy word that means it lives parts of its life in both freshwater and saltwater.

According to Japanese scientists (who have spent considerably more time and money than you’d guess studying the breeding habits of this tasty critter), Anguilla japonica spawn in the far-flung Mariana Islands, and then migrate thousands of miles to the freshwater rivers in East Asia. After arriving in freshwater, they fatten themselves up on a diet of shrimp, insects and small fish before being caught, sliced and served up on a bed of rice.

Unagi is typically served in a special black box, and is spiced up with a traditional blend of red and white pepper. While eels may have gooey exteriors and a rather unpleasant appearance in life, in death – at least at the hands of a skilled chef – they have a sweet and buttery taste that is regarded as an expensive delicacy. Throughout Japan, specialist eel restaurants can be identified by signs that depict the word unagi using the letter u (the hiragana う) in the curved shape of an eel.

Like most elements of Japanese cuisine, it’s somewhat debatable as to whether or not your children and grandchildren will ever be able to enjoy unagi. Sadly, changing water conditions both in rivers and seas are threatening eel populations, which means that you may want to go heavy on unagi this summer, thus ensuring your future popularity with the fairer sex.

Bon appetite, or as they say here in Japan, ittadakimasu!!

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Big in Japan: Japanese farmers raise poison-free blowfish

by Matthew Firestone on

To steal a line from a classic Simpsons episode:

‘Poison. Poison. Poison. Tasty Fish.’

Blowfish or fugu (??)???packs a lethal punch in the form of tetrodotoxin, an extremely potent neurotoxin that paralyzes its victims while they are still conscious. To put things into perspective, this means that you are fully aware as your throat closes, your lungs deflate and you drift slowly into death’s arms.

There is no known cure.

However, Japan is a country of safety and order, so thankfully the majority of deaths occur when untrained people catch and prepare the fish, accidentally poisoning themselves in the process. The most dangerous culprit is the liver, which has been illegal for centuries despite being the tastiest morsel of the blowfish – it is often compared to the highest-quality foie gras (fatty goose liver).

While illegal meals of liver can still be had on the black market, the danger cannot be understated. In 1975, the famous Kabuki actor and ‘Living National Treasure’ Bandou Mitsugorou VIII requested four servings of liver from a fugu chef in Kyoto. Unable to refuse the request of someone of such an elevated stature, the chef served him the livers. He died soon after.

Of course, all of this is set to change now that Japanese fish-farmers have found away to raise non-poisonous blowfish….

According to an article in the New York Times, recent advances in fugu research and farming have led to the production of blowfish that are ‘as harmless as goldfish.’ In fact, the advances are so significant that farmers have even been successful in producing completely poison-free fugu livers.

So, how did they do it?

About eight years ago, Mr. Tamao Noguchi, a marine toxin specialist at Tokyo Healthcare University and a leading fugu expert, concluded a two-decade study demonstrating that fugu could be made poison-free by strictly controlling its feed. While it was once believed that blowfish develop the toxin on their own, in actuality they eat other animals that carry tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria.

Earlier this year, Mr. Noguchi tested more than 7,000 fugu that had been given only feed free of the tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria. His hypothesis was correct – not a single fish was poisonous!

So, will it once again be possible to eat fugu livers in Japan?

Sadly, Mr. Noguchi’s research is being suppressed by powerful interests in the fugu industry, who fear that farm-raised blowfish will jeopardize their monopoly.

“We won’t approve it,” said Mr. Hisashi Matsumura, the president of the Shimonoseki Fugu Association and vice president of the National Fugu Association. “We’re not engaging in this irrelevant discussion.”

Sigh. Looks like thrill-seekers in Japan are going to have wait a bit longer to legally sample fugu liver. Of course, there are certain places in Japan where you can get your fingers on some fugu liver, though be sure that your affairs are in order before you dig in!

** All images are screenshots from the classic Simpsons episode One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish. The show, which first aired January 24, 1991, was the 11th episode of season 2 **