Japanese

Mind-Blowing Look at Takeda Castle, a Real Castle in the Sky

By Jackson Chung March 6, 2014

Here’s a mind-blowing look at Takeda Castle, a real castle in the sky. Originally constructed in 1441 on the summit of a mountain that towers nearly 1000ft over the surrounding terrain, the ruins of Takeda Castle span an area a quarter of a mile in length and more than 300 feet in width. The castle changed hands several times until Hirohide Akamatsu, a soldier who fought for Ieyasu Tokugawa’s at the battle of Sekigahara, was appointed its lord in 1600. Within a year of his appointment, Akamatsu committed sepuku and Takeda Castle was abandoned. Continue reading for three videos and more information.

Amazing Look at Japan’s Seagaia Ocean Dome, the World’s Largest Indoor Beach

By Jackson Chung March 5, 2014

Located in Miyazaki, Japan, the Seagaia Ocean Dome was the world’s largest Polynesia-themed indoor beach. It was a part of the Sheraton Seagaia Resort and measured 300 meters in length and 100 meters in width. The waterpark first opened in 1993, with visitor numbers peaking in 1995 at 1.25-million a year.

14 Mind-Blowing Examples of 3D Latte Art Created by a Japanese Barista

By Jackson Chung February 19, 2014

Japanese barista Ito Yuichi at Belcorno, an Italian restaurant in Aichi Prefecture, is probably the best latte artist you’ll ever see, or at least specializing in turning froth into art. Latte art developed independently in different countries, following the introduction of espresso and the development of microfoam, the combination of crema and microfoam allowing the pattern; it presumably was initially developed in Italy. Continue reading for more.In the United States, latte art was developed in Seattle in the 1980s and 1990s, and particularly popularized by David Schomer

7 Incredible Pictures of Snow Corridor in the Japanese City of Aomori

By Jackson Chung February 16, 2014

The “Snow Corridor” in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture is one the popular tourist sights, with snow walls reaching a height of 9-meters (30-feet), allowing visitors to enjoy magnificent views of the vivid blue of the sky contrasted against the white of the snow in perfect harmony. Continue reading for a video and more information.

Japanese Researchers Invent Sugar Battery That Stores More Power than Lithium-ion

By Jackson Chung January 31, 2014

You read that right, researchers at the Tokyo University of Science in Japan have developed a way to create batteries using sugar. It’s an alternative power source for batteries that may soon replace the common lithium ion batteries used today. Current rechargeable battery designs, like those found inside smartphones, are typically made from lithium, a finite resource, but high demand and its scarcity drives prices up. Furthermore, the process to obtain lithium isn’t very good for the environment to say the least. However, by heating sugar at extremely high temperatures, it can be converted to hard carbon, which can then be used to create sodium ion batteries. Continue reading for a video and more information.

Bizarre Experiment Shows How Powerful Our Thoughts Really Are, Video Shows Why

By Jackson Chung January 30, 2014

Dr. Masaru Emoto is a famed researcher and alternative healer from Japan who’s researched the effects of positive and negative thoughts on materials such as water and cooked rice. The results are very interesting to say the least. In one experiment, Emoto gathered a group of 2,000 people from Tokyo to focus positive thoughts towards water samples were placed inside an electromagnetically shielded room in California. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs of the frozen water molecules were simply astounding. While the former were haphazard and had no structure, the latter had formed beautiful patterns. Continue reading for a video and more information.

24 Bizarre Ice Cream Flavors from Japan You Won’t Believe Exist

By Jackson Chung January 28, 2014

Japan It Up! reports that “a ramen shop near Kitasenjyu Station in Tokyo called Kikuya sells classic ramen noodles in soup topped with soft-serve ice cream cones. The dish comes in a variety of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Just eat it fast before the ice cream melts.” Continue reading for more bizarre ice cream flavors from Japan.

Japanese Farmers Unveil Bizarre Pentagon-Shaped Oranges

By Jackson Chung January 21, 2014

You read that right, a group of farmers in Japan have created bizarre pentagon-shaped fruits. The iyokan citrus fruits or ‘Gokaku no Iyokan’ were handed out as a good luck charm for students in the upcoming entrance exam season in Yawatahama, Ehime. For those who are not familiar with the term, ‘Gokaku no Iyokan’ also means ‘sweet smell of success in exams.’ Continue reading for more pictures.

Mountain Dew Cheetos Just Might be the Strangest and Geekiest Flavor Yet

By Jackson Chung January 12, 2014

Geeks who love Mountain Dew and Cheetos rejoice! There’s a new limited edition flavor out in Japan right now that combines the best of both worlds. According to Brand Eating, “it’s more like Cheeto-like as there’s no cheese and the corn snacks are instead powdered with a fizzy Mountain Dew-flavor powders – they taste like ‘sweet lemon lime chips.'” Continue reading for a video review.

This Mind-Blowing Room Isn’t Computer-Generated, Just a Super Telescope

By Jackson Chung January 10, 2014

No, what you’re looking at above isn’t a computer-generated scene from an upcoming science fiction movie, but rather the Super Kamiokande, which lies under mount Kamioka near the city of Hida in Japan. It’s a super telescope that was designed to search for proton decay, keep watch for supernovas in the galaxy and study solar and atmospheric neutrinos. Continue reading for more pictures.