People should stop being cheap and hire real translators.

From AdFreak.com, via Boing Boing.

From an anonymous reader on Slashdot:

“A recently-introduced law in Japan requires all businesses to have mandatory obesity checks (video link) for all their employees and employees’ family members over the age of 40, CNN reports. If the employee or family member is deemed obese, and does not lose the extra fat soon, their employer faces large fines. The legislated upper limit for the waistline is 33.5″ for men, and 35.5″ for women. Should America adopt universal health insurance, could we live to see the same kind of individual health regulations imposed on us by the government? By comparison, the average waistline in America in 2005 was 39 inches for men, 37 inches for women.”

I guess extreme problems call for extreme solutions!

Now, this also worries me. Potentially having to move in Japan soon to follow my love, and me being a bit overweight, will that new law make it impossible for me to find a job?

From Pink Tentacle:

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has converted the Kobe Portliner Monorail into a moving showroom before the April 14 opening of a new retail outlet at Port Island. The redecorated train, which features a colorful exterior, bright upholstery and fancy curtains, will carry passengers in style until May 6.

I wish they would have pulled that publicity stunt on a Yamanote train or a shinkansen!

From Yomiuri Shimbun:

A uniform manufacturer in Chuo Ward, Osaka, has developed a T-shirt intended to provide protection against knives, following an increasing number of malicious crimes that have victimized children and late-night convenience store clerks.

The site cubo.cc has only one page. It features a Japanese woman following your mouse pointer with her eyes. While I’m sure this will bring out the peeping Tom in some of you, I couldn’t help not to notice how red her eyes are.

The site itself doesn’t offer any further information other than an e-mail address and a link to another site. However, inspecting the source code, the technology seems to originate from motionportrait.com.

Seen on Mixx.

From CBC News:

Japan has created an unusual government post to promote animation, and named a perfect figure to the position: a popular cartoon robot cat named Doraemon.

Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura appointed the cat as “anime ambassador” at an inauguration ceremony Wednesday.

From Slashdot, reported by RemyBR:

“Controversial scientific research happens all the time, but a review conducted by scientists in Japan uncovered a list of ‘bizarre’ trials – including one program designed to crossbreed cows with whales. ‘Scientists have analyzed 43 research papers produced by Japan over 18 years, finding most were useless or esoteric. The scientific research included injecting minke whale sperm into cows eggs, and attempts to produce test-tube whale babies.’”

Whale, I’m just speechless. Cow you really do that?! (Intentional bad pun for their intentional bad idea.)

I challenge anyone to use Photoshop and come up with a picture of a whale-cow crossbreed.

Some Japanese English I’ll never understand.

“And up and down again always anywear round and round and i’ll share my pillow too with you never…”

Originally posted on Rémino.

Last year was my first time to write the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. I wrote level 4: it was too easy. I received my certificate in March, and as I thought, I passed with flying colours.

Since I thought level 3 was quite similar to level 4, I thought for this year’s JLPT, I would be best to simply skip 3 and write level 2!

I went to Toronto last Sunday and wrote the exam. It was a big mistake. My derrière got served to me on a silver plater. Plus, I didn’t study a lot of kanji this year, so I’ve been punished for that too. At least, the listening part was a bit funny.

One interesting note, we’ve been warned if ever we reveal any information about the JLPT, the Japan Foundation will disqualify you. Since the test happens in the morning of the same day around the world, I heard some people in Japan, for example, are giving out answers to people in other countries. (Because of time zones, the exam starts later than Japan in many countries.)

Did you write the JLPT this year? If so, which level, and how was it? I’m also interested to know how you prepare yourselves for such an exam. I’m thinking I’ll simply learn and practice a new word everyday, starting New Year 2008!

While I agree to some comments on the linked page that is shows how Japanese people may be more patient than us in crowded places, I also agree that I would never be able to “relax” in such a place. Click the picture below for a video.

Taken from kilian-nakamura.com.