After 20 years, Japan Airlines has stopped publication of it’s calendars that feature pictures of cabin attendants. The wall and desktops calendars were first offered in 1989 and have been sold in bookstores, on the internet, and in JAL catalogs. Demand peaked in 1993, with about 100,000 copies printed. For 2009, JAL printed 50,000 of the
The egg-shaped Tipsy electric room heater cannot fall down. If kicked, it rocks like a bop bag inflatable punching bag and returns to an upright position. Most heaters have an automatic power-off function that engages when the heater is not upright. After the heater turns off, it needs to be manually restarted. The
The life-size mechanical clown mascot in front of the landmark Cui-daore restaurant in Osaka since 1950 retired July 8 when the business closed it’s doors for the final time. The restaurant had been popular with tourists because of Cui-daore Taro, the bespectacled drum-beating clown, and its novel menu. Taro is not the only life-size figure
Japan’s annual “Cool Biz” energy-saving campaign began June 1, 2008. The fashion campaign was initiated in 2005 by former Japan environment minister Yuriko Koike. She argued that by getting men out of suits, office building air conditioning thermostats could be raised to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Military Comic Books Not So Novel A comic book created by the US Navy to educate Japanese teens and young adults about one of it’s nuclear powered aircraft carriers is ready for distribution in Yokosuka. The city is home to the Yokosuka Naval Base US installation. The USS George Washington is scheduled to arrive in
