Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down on asteroid 162173 Ryugu for a second time last night (July 10th), and transmitted incredible photos back to JAXA. They show different perspectives as captured by two cameras – main navigation camera and a publicly funded camera pointed past the sampling mechanism – onboard the spacecraft. The former provides views of Ryugu’s surface at touchdown, while the latter shows the nearby rock it collected samples from. “The touchdown is successful,” said JAXA spokesman Takayuki Tomobe Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu
Just when you thought airport hotels were all the same, Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu decides to change everything with their latest offering. One of the hotel’s rooms has a full-sized Boeing 737-800 flight simulator. How much will it cost you to stay in this room? How about a cool 25,300 yen ($233.07 USD) and / or you can even book a 90-minute flight lesson with a certified instructor for 30,000 yen (around $276.40 USD).
One artist who goes by ‘Doooo’ from Japan wanted to bring the commonly used phrase ‘put your money where your mouth is’ to life, literally, and the result? This human mouth-shaped coin bag, complete with lips, teeth and even gums. Strangely enough, this isn’t the first fleshy creation this unusual artist has made, as he also covered a DJ soundboard in a human skin-like material as well as wrapping an iPhone case and portable charger the same way. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Japan-based ESCRIT, a wedding ceremony company, partnered with The Pokemon Company to start offering officially licensed Pokémon weddings, complete with costumes, themed food items, and more. Each package also includes place cards and program pamphlets adorned with Pikachus poking their tails out from a bed of flowers, in which they’re possibly sharing a just-married smooch. There are two bride-and-groom Electric Types that greet guests as part of the welcome board, which is tradtionally placed at the entrance of the banquet hall where the wedding reception is held.
Japan has already begun testing ALFA-X, the world’s fastest bullet train, ahead of its 2030 launch. Featuring a 72-foot-long aerodynamic nose, it’s touted as being capable of achieving speeds up to 224mph and consists of ten carriages. This silver bullet comes equipped with an air brake as well as a conventional brake on the roof controlled by magnetic plated near the tracks, while dampeners and air suspension keep things stable for passengers. Read more for another video and additional information.
Photo credit: Takumi Toxin via Laughing Squid
For those unfamiliar with Ukiyo-e (translates to pictures of the floating world), it’s basically a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists created woodblock prints and paintings of female beauties, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers as well as scenes from history and folk tales. Illustrator Takumi Toxin decided to give The Avengers: Endgame characters a Ukiyo-e makeover, starting with Thanos.
Hakone is a town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, a place where Mt. Fuji can be seen when taking a day trip from Tokyo. In addition to hot springs, museums and other recreation activities. However, among auto enthusiasts, it’s known for the amazing roads, particularly the Hakone Turnpike. Toyota decided to pay tribute with a Toyota 86 Hakone edition in British Racing Green, and equipped with 17-inch bronze wheels as well as a black lip spoiler. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine generating 205 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. This special edition model goes on sale this Fall in the US and is expected to be priced at or around $29,355. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully blasted a crater into an asteroid called 162173 Ryugu. “The exact size and shape of the artificial crater will be examined in detail in the future, but we can see that terrain of an area about [60 feet] 20 m[eters] wide has changed. We did not expect such a big alternation so a lively debate has been initiated in the project!,” said the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA). Read more for the video and additional information.
Just when you thought the 2019 Rolls-Royce Phantom couldn’t look any more sleek, Japanese tuner Wald International reveals the Black Bison Editon. In addition to the matte black paint job, the luxury sedan boasts a redesigned front bumper with an integrated spoiler, large air intakes, and chrome trim, while the rear bumper sports a massive diffuser, thick exhaust finishers, as well as a mesh finish. If its anything like the company’s previous Rolls-Royce offerings, you can expect to shell out upwards of $35K+ for the package. Read more for additional pictures and a bonus video.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 space probe has successfully “bombed” asteroid Ryugu, which is speeding 186 million miles from Earth, in an attempt to retrieve material that could offer scientists new clues about the origins of life on our planet. It released the device – called a small carry-on impact – on Friday as it hovered 500 meters above the asteroid. This cone-shaped impactor was fitted with a copper explosive the size of a baseball and programmed to detonate 40 minutes after it was released, gouging a crater into the asteroid’s surface. Read more for a video and additional information.