AUTEC specializes in sushi-making robots, and their latest creation is claimed to make 200 sushi rolls or 2,400 nigiri rice balls per hour. This machine molds rice inside a rotating container and then pours it out flat in the form of various sheets where various ingredients can be added to the process to create different recipes. It can also wrap, cut, and then package the sushi so it’s ready to go. Read more for another video and additional information.
Masako Wakamiya, an 83-year-old from Japan, may not have been a part of the first wave of mobile apps, but in 2017, she launched Hinadan, a game aimed at elderly users. She purchased her first computer when she was approaching 60 to keep up with friends while taking care of her elderly mother. “I felt like my view expanded. I was excited to know that the world was much larger, with a diverse range of people. As I discovered how great it is, I thought I should tell that to people from my generation. Then I opened a sort of PC salon in my tiny house and started teaching people of my generation,” said Masako. Read more for an in-depth look at her life.
Photo credit: FairyAndYou via Laughing Squid
Need an iPhone case and love buttered toast? If so, then “Fairy And You” has just the creation for you. There’s not much information available on this custom creation, but it does look to be made out of some type of flexible silicone material that not only looks tasty, but can at the very least protect your handset from small drops. Read more for a video and additional pictures.
Photo credit: Sankei News / FNN
If you’ve seen pictures of bizarre “crop-circle-like” patterns in a Japanese forest, it’s not computer-generated imagery, but rather a real place you can visit. They can be seen on Google Earth and are actually the result of experiments by the Japanese government conducted more than 50 years ago. That’s right, a 1973 document from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, states that researchers started a project designed to examine tree spacing and its effect on growth, and the result was this “experimental forest” near Nichinan City.
Toyota and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced Tuesday they had agreed to cooperate in developing a manned lunar rover that runs on fuel cell technologies. The rover is still early in development, but the concept images reveal a six-wheeled vehicle that looks like an armored personnel carrier.
Say goodbye to security guards, and hello to VaakEye, an AI-powered software system that can reportedly detect shoplifting before it even occurs by analyzing surveillance camera footage. It looks for suspicious movements, and if the algorithm detects a high probability of that person shoplifting, it sends an alert directly to a smartphone app being monitored by the loss prevention team. Read more for another video of it in-action and additional information.
In Japan, it’s common to find internet cafes and capsule hotels for cheap nightly accommodations, but now, there’s a place just for manga fans. Officially called the “Manga Art Hotel, Tokyo”, it’s located in Jimbocho, Japans’ “city of manga,” complete with over 5,000 manga titles (English versions included) to choose from during you stay in one of the 35 guest rooms. Read more for a short tour of one of the guest rooms, additional pictures and information.
Hayabusa2, a Japanese space probe named after a falcon, successfully touched down on asteroid Ryugu, which lies more than 300 million km (186 million miles) from Earth, on a mission to seek clues about the origins of life, said JAXA. Hayabusa 2 fired a small projectile into the asteroid that measures just 900 meters (3,000 feet) in diameter to collect particles scientists hope will be brought back to Earth for analysis. “We may have caused some worry due to the delay but we carried out our plan flawlessly over the past four months to bring it to a successful landing. It landed in the best circumstances among the scenarios we envisioned,” said project manager Yuichi Tsuda. Read more for the video conference and additional information.
Priced at ¥3,251,880 ($29,400) for the 6-speed manual version and ¥3,318,840 ($30,031) for the 6-speed automatic, this limited edition Toyota 86 in British Racing Green is only being offered in Japan. In addition to the special color, buyers also get the High Performance Package, which includes Brembo brakes, SACHS dampers, exclusive 17-inch bronze alloys and a rear spoiler. Step inside, you’ll find two-tone leather seats with Alcantara support pads and an infotainment system minus the display. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Motor1
Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the Toyota Supra Super GT GR Racing concept is what the production model should look like, but instead, this vehicle previews the automaker’s GT500-class race car for the 2020 Super GT racing series. This exciting racing series takes place mainly in Japan, with one race in Thailand. It’s split into GT500 and GT300 classes, with the former featuring vehicles similar to German DTM cars. One thing you may not know is that the engine is required to be a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. This model will enter competition next year and replace the current Lexus LC racer. Read more for a video, additional pictures and information.