Even Hello Kitty has a blog

Daily Yomiuri: Companies count on blogs to cut cost of Web.

Some companies are taking a more creative approach to promoting their products, as shown by world-famous celebrity cat Hello Kitty.

Of course, the fictional kitty doesn’t write her own blog, which is run by character-goods maker Sanrio Co., inventor of the character. But the company uses the blog to bring the cat to life, making her a familiar character and bringing her closer to her fans.

Click here to access the list of Hello Kitty blogs (Japanese).

Circle K has it all

This shot really highlights how advanced this country is. We’re not in
the metropolis of Tokyo, but in the suburbs of Shizuoka Prefecture. In
fact, some Japanese would refer to this as a “country” area. But around
the corner from here, the Circle K convenience store can sell you blank
DVDs, ADSL splitters, line noise filters, USB mobile phone connector kits…

Japan’s shrinking population


It’s not news that Japan’s shrinking population is a big problem, but it was a surprise to me how quickly it’s being felt. A Washington Post article A baby bust empties out Japan’s schools gives some startling facts:

Japan’s disappearing schools are emblematic of the problem. More than 2,000 elementary, junior high and high schools nationwide have been forced to close over the past decade. The number of elementary and junior high students fell from 13.42 million in 1994 to 10.86 million last year. An estimated 63,000 teachers have lost their jobs. Even as the percentage of people over 65 steadily climbs, an estimated 300 more schools a year are scheduled to shut their doors over the next several years…

Which would explain exactly why there were so few kids at Fuji Safari Park today

Get your motor running

The indash LCD of the Honda Odyssey lets us know many things as we are travelling the Tomei expressway. Here it is telling us what town and prefecture we are in, how many kilometers to the next rest area, when we can expect to arrive there, and that we can expect ¥850 in tolls when we get off the highway.

Touch pad sushi

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the conveyor belt sushi shops which are known as kaiten zushi. I had never actually been in one before,  but there’s now a new twist, one which shouldn’t be entirely unexpected if you know anything about Japan…

For those folks sitting at tables out of reach of the conveyor belt area, touch screens allow you to view the menu and place your order without the hassle of actually having to speak to your waiter or waitress.

Caddy-san

This was our caddy on Saturday. Caddys are referred to as caddy-san. Don’t be fooled by her looks, she can tell you which way the putt will break from any place on any green, and give her a driver and she’ll knock one down the fairway 230 yards. She’ll find any ball you hit, and run full speed down the fairway to do so. Cheers to you, caddy-san: Kanpai. You’re fantastic.