Posts from — December 2007

Happy Christmas! Here’s a poster for Kelly Chen’s upcoming movie “An Empress And The Warriors“. She looks rather well protected. Except for her face of course, which is left open for maximum publicity.

Via AsianPopcorn

Technorati Tags: film, Hong Kong, Kelly Chen, period film, An Empress And The Warriors

Here is perhaps the world’s first white Geisha, Liza Dalby.

She first went to Japan as a teenager, spending a year with a family in rural Saga City. Liza was the first and only foreign student at Saga University.

After returning and attending Swarthmore College, she encountered the field of cultural anthropology, which ultimately led her back to Japan to research and take on the role of a Geisha. Liza made her debut as Ichigiku.

More on LizaDalby.com

Via TokyoMango

Technorati Tags: Geisha, Ichigiku, Japan, Liza Dalby, world’s first white Geisha

It hasn’t been approved for the Olympics yet, but Slipper Ping Pong is an international sport with growing popularity!

The game was started in Kahokucho, a small city known for being the number one slipper manufacturer in Japan. As a way to promote tourism - and to get rid of excess slipper materials - they invented this modded sport not so long ago.

You can buy the official World Ping Pong Championship slippers on Cataloger’s web site.

Via TokyoMango

Technorati Tags: Japan, Kahokucho, modded sport, official World Ping Pong Championship slippers, slipper manufacturer, Slipper Ping Pong

Trust Japan to push the novelty envelope for Christmas. Inventor Spot posts the top ten strange santas from the land of the rising sun!

Here are three of my favourite ones - an underwater santa, a green santa and the ubiquitous sexy anime santa!

See more on Inventor Spot

Via Neatorama

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Japan, Japanese, Santa Claus, top ten strange santas

These hairpin curves are part of a military road in China, and there are no guardrails! Imagine how dizzying it must be to drive up and down these roads, unless of course, you’re a drifter.

Here is also the Guoliang Tunnel in China’s Taihang mountains, a road cut by hand, by nearby villagers.

If sitting within a vehicle is too safe for you, you can always try the most dangerous tourist hiking trail in Xian (Mt. Huashan) in China…

See more on Dark Roasted Blend

Via Neatorama

Technorati Tags: China, dangerous tourist hiking trail, Guoliang Tunnel, Mt. Huashan, hairpin curves, Taihang mountains, Xian

A Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) is launched from the Japanese AEGIS Destroyer JS Kongo, en route to intercept a target missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, on December 17, 2007.

The $55 million test was a “major milestone” in growing US-Japanese cooperation, said Rear Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Lt. General Henry Obering, head of the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency.

Via Activate.us

Technorati Tags: Japan, Japanese AEGIS Destroyer JS Kongo, photography, Standard Missile 3

Cinematical have just posted this exclusive poster for The Forbidden Kingdom, otherwise known as the film that pairs up martial arts veterans Jackie Chan and Jet Li for their first ever big-screen collaboration.

The Forbidden Kingdom follows an American teen (Michael Angarano) and all-around Kung Fu nut, who comes across a mysterious Chinese staff that transports him back to ancient China.

While there, he meets up with two Kung Fu masters (Jackie Chan, Crystal Liu Yifei) and the Silent Monk (Jet Li), and the four head off to fulfill an ancient prophecy to free the jailed Monkey King.

We previously posted the Forbidden Kingdom trailer at the beginning of the month.

The Forbidden Kingdom will arrive in theaters in the US on April 18th, 2008.

From Cinematical via AsianPopCorn

Technorati Tags: film, Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, martial arts

Thailand’s Tharatip Sridee performs in the rhythmic gymnastics rope final at the SEA Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on December 15, 2007.

Via Activate.us

Technorati Tags: Nakhon Ratchasima, rhythmic gymnastics, SEA Games, Thailand, Tharatip Sridee