Posts from — October 2007

Check out these amazing skills these Japanese pen spinners have! I’m not sure if this “art” has any practical use beyond whiling away any time you have to spend waiting, but it does look cool.

Watch The Art of Japanese Pen Spinning

If you want to learn any of these, you can find some tips and videos in The Book of Cool (which also has a DVD).

Thanks Vernon!

Technorati Tags: cool, Japanese, pen spinning

The Okachin Manhole Cover Gallery apparently has over a thousand images of Japanese Manhole cover designs such as the following ones that I noticed.

Its a step up from the seemingly generic ones you get here in the UK, and is a welcome detail to the streets. Reminds me a little of those “Hollywood Avenues” which contain metal casts of actor’s signatures and hand prints.

Technorati Tags: design, Japan, Japanese design, Japanese streets, Okachin Manhole Cover Gallery, Japanese Manhole cover designs

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Etsy seller Marie Xiong has a nice, cute set of Sushi Pins for sale, if you like your sushi with faces on them!

The set of one inch buttons feature cute smiling sushi and will set you back a mere $8 + shipping. Who said you couldn’t put a price on happiness?

Sushi Pins on Etsy

Technorati Tags: cuisine, illustration, Japan, Marie Xiong, sushi pins

Tokyo’s 21_21 Design Sight gallery recently hosted an exhibition called “Chocolate!” which featured thirty designers making all sorts of gear from this brown delicacy.

Unfortunately, its closed now, but these items from Pingmag did catch my eye.

Technorati Tags: 21_21 Design Sight gallery, chocolate design, design, Tokyo

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Neatorama have a nice little post about Bruce Lee with 10 facts we might not have known about him.

Here’s the first one:

Bruce Lee’s Family Gave Him a Girl’s Name: “Little Phoenix”

Bruce’s family never called him “Bruce.” They preferred to call him by his nickname “Sai Fon” or “Little Phoenix.” It was a girl’s name, deliberately chosen by his parents because they believed that evil spirits did not like boys in the family (their firstborn was a son who died in infancy). So, by giving Bruce a girl’s name, they believed they could fool the demons into sparing his life!

Read more on Neatorama’s 10 Kick Ass Facts about Bruce Lee

There’s quite a storm brewing up through the comments as well. I did think (comment 34) “all your bruce are belong to us” was funny in the context of all the other (serious?) comments. But I guess you had to be there..

Technorati Tags: Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee facts

Here’s a short clip showing some fish being served up, whilst still alive! Would you eat this, with the head still twitching and those dark eyes seemingly watching you?

“This type of food is called Ikezukuri, or the preparation of sashimi (raw seafood) from a living animal. Wikipedia explains:

“Ikizukuri usually begins with the customer selecting, from a tank in the restaurant, the animal (shrimp, octopus, lobster, assorted fish) they wish to eat. The chef, almost always a sashimi chef who has undergone years of training and apprenticeship, takes the animal out of the tank and filets and guts it, but without killing the animal, which is served on a plate, sliced, with the heart still beating.

“Needless to say, this food preparation method is controversial. Many people consider ikezukuri as inhumane and needlessly cruel, whereas aficionados claim that the flavor, quality, and freshness justified the procedure.”

Via Neatorama

Technorati Tags: cuisine, Ikezukuri, Japan, live sushi, sashimi

These guys continue tradition with pierced rods through their cheeks as they join a rally to mark the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, about 690 km (429 miles) southwest of Bangkok, October 16, 2007.

More photos below…

Technorati Tags: Phuket Vegetarian Festival, pierced cheeks, Thailand

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A model wearing a dress by fashion label Fendi is assisted off the catwalk at sunset on the Great Wall of China near Beijing October 19, 2007.

A total of 88 models displayed designs by designers Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi.

More photos on Mainichi Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: China, fashion, Great Wall of China