All posts in: Japan

09 Jan 2021

McDonald’s Japan Has Healthier Happy Meals

https://youtu.be/MDaJhkqUwK0

Growing up, there was no such thing as a healthier Happy Meal from McDonald’s. In fact, healthier eating for young children wasn’t as prioritized back then as it is now so it’s kind of refreshing to see such a change. In order to promote healthier eating with kids, McDonald’s in Japan is introducing new side offerings including yogurt, a side salad and a medley of corn and edamame. Yum! We’d take this option as an adult if we had the choice. The main dishes themselves will not change, but if you’re a kid not wanting fries, at least you have options.

[Source]

08 Nov 2020

A Pandemic’s Healing Robots

Adapting to a lifestyle with less human interaction these days isn’t easy for everyone. Due to the pandemic, people are experiencing higher levels of anxiety through the isolation and a desire for physical human contact. Japan has stepped in with a solution for these adorable healing robots.

The robots are able to gather data that detect the well being of the human they are around. As sales start to rise, the data shows that many are purchasing them for their elderly parents who they can’t visit during this time. While that is just one example of a demographic, the robots are also appealing to younger children who may be experiencing more emotional stress during this time.

With more than 50 sensors, it can recognize, approach and make eye contact with its owner. The sensors allow it to feel where its body is touched and avoid obstacles, light enough to pick up, with arms adjustable to a “hug mode” and a temperature similar to the human body, it can express jealousy — a first for a robot — when it is with another robot which is getting more attention.

I may not be in any position to become a pet owner at this moment, but a robot seems like the low maintenance thing I need.

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23 May 2020

The Ways the World Is Taking On Social Distancing

By the time 2020 is over, I’m never going to want to hear the words “social distancing” again. Despite how frequently it comes up, it by no means diminishes how important it is. As countries start to recover and begin their re-opening process, I’m curious to see how they approach it. Last month we shared how [Singapore] was tackling this and in my opinion, they set the bar high. Above, the Izu Shabonten Zoo in Shizuoka, Japan has filled their restaurant with the cutest and most cuddly stuffed critters. Honestly, this seems like something I’d be okay with even without the pandemic. Wouldn’t you agree that this beats filling seats with blow up dolls? The plushies aren’t just there for a cute visual though. They’re being used to mark appropriate safe distances for diners within the restaurant.

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In another part of the world, a restaurant in Sweden offers a very different, but more isolated experience. Earlier this month, a chef-husband and wife duo opened up a new concept that allowed diners to be in a bucolic field and receive their meal via basket and clothes line. Completely contactless! This contactless concept doesn’t just go for social distancing in businesses, it is also about updating how they deal with customers in an increasingly digital world. Because people are afraid of touching pretty much anything but they still need to go out, stores are able to implement new Payment Terminal machines that can be completely contactless and accept multiple ways of paying without narrowing in to one area, like using a credit/debit card, making it easier on shoppers.

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And back home, a little bit more locally San Francisco parks are adopting the 6ft apart circles inspired by Brooklyn’s parks. Pictured above is Dolores Park in the Mission, but these circles created this past Thursday just in time for the long weekend are living at three other parks within the city. Don’t let your guard down just yet; these circles are meant for groups that are still within the same household of each other.

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26 Apr 2020

Japan’s Windowless Church

Growing up, religion just wasn’t a part of my day-to-day life. Despite that, I ended up at a private Catholic college – one that required at least two theology courses to graduate. I remember hearing about that and feeling intimidated. How could someone with no prior knowledge of religion at all get through two full quarters of these classes? The other concern I had was wondering if this would feel forced on me. I’m happy to share that that wasn’t the outcome! And that included in my four years of college were three years of voluntary participation in working with our campus ministry. Because of the environment I was in and my network, this naturally ended up being a part of my college career.

And since then, I’ve spent some time marveling at the spaces for places of worship. I’ve lost count of how many times I visited the chapel on campus – many times for attending events, but other times just for finding peace and solace during a hectic class day. When traveling, I don’t always seek out these spaces, but if I happen to come across one of them, I try to capture these moments.

In what seems to be a non-traditional build, this church located in Shizuoka, Japan was made of wooden slats and without any windows. Sunlight streams in from the top through the open roof and creates various shadows throughout the day.

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09 Apr 2020

Nendo Stairway House

Every once in awhile we’ll come across a home so beautifully architected that it stops us dead in our tracks. I know I’m not the only one who couldn’t take my eyes off of this because three other websites I peruse for news also covered this. Designed by the team at Nendo, this stairway home in Japan begins outdoors before inserting itself inside.

Instead of serving as more of a function within a home like we’re used to, it purely is a visual dream. In some cases, the staircase hides parts of the home that we may not always want to see. In the photo above, I love how they’ve used it as home and gallery for their plants. For more stunning photos of the home, visit the link below.

[Source]

06 Jul 2019

Blog Roundup

  • What they wore… in “Always Be My Maybe” [Fashionista]
  • Another Dead Cyclist in the City [Deadspin]
  • Spending At Least One Vacation Day Doing Absolutely Nothing Is Peak Relaxation [Mel Magazine]
  • The Subtle Subversions of “Always Be My Maybe” [The Atlantic]
  • People in Japan Are Renting Cars But Not Driving Them [The Verge]
  • Netflix Releases Statement Against Smoking on Original Shows [Hypebae]
  • What Your Waiter Wishes They Could Tell You [The Every Girl]
  • The Tinder Bio For Every Myers-Briggs Type [The Man Repeller]
  • Illustrations Reimagine Keanu Reeves as Every Disney Prince [My Modern Met]
  • There Are Two Types of Airport People [The Atlantic]
  • 16 Cozy NYC Spots That Are Great For When You’re Alone [Food52]
  • Let Go of Your Grudges. They’re Doing You No Good [New York Times]
25 Dec 2018

Extraordinary Images of Everyday Life In Japan

(Nishishimbashi, Tokyo, Aug 2010 | Shin Noguchi)

I don’t know how I was able to pin point this, but the first time I picked up a camera and took on photography, I knew people would be my favorite subject. Humans can be their truest and honest self when no one is looking. More often times than not, I’ll be people watching and catch a glimpse of something that I wish I had my camera for. Instead, I’m left to savor that moment. It wasn’t meant to be to capture that shot. Now looking back on it, it’s probably one of the reasons why I gravitate so strongly towards shots with people in them for my A Collection posts. People are and have always been interesting to me.

Stumbling upon this post for Shin Noguchi’s “Something Here” series in Japan takes me back. They remind me of some of my older photographs – many that I have lost at this point by now, but evoke a lot of those same emotions for me.

To view the rest of the photos and hear from Shin on this series, click [here]

29 Apr 2018

Blog Roundup

  • You are what you eat on your pizza. April pizza horoscopes. [Bon Appetit] (one month later)
  • McDonalds’ interior design tricks [Market Watch]
  • Q-Tip will teach a music course at NYU this fall [Pitchfork]
  • Ace Hotel will be opening a location in Japan next year – Kyoto to be specific [Hypebeast]
  • Nike admits they could do a better job with hiring women and minorities in leaked internal memo [Hypebae]

  • A behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen at KFC. This was FASCINATING to me.
  • Why I wondered what happened to the Steven Alan store in Hayes Valley [Fashionista]
  • Who picks out the playlists you hear while shopping? [Racked]
15 Oct 2017

Blog Roundup

–  These museums actually allow you to have sleepovers there [My Modern Met]

– The evolution of women in stock photos over the years [New York Times]

– Here’s why you get better at things after 1-2 drinks [Mel Magazine]

– Advice vs. Feedback [Signal v. Noise]

– How to End a Bad Date [Man Repeller]

– Watching these two people tight rope between two hot air balloons gave me anxiety [Digg]

– Elevator etiquette in Japan [Medium]

23 Jul 2017

A Vending Machine for Homemade Meals

Now I haven’t done too much international traveling, but I’ll never forget my trip to Japan and how amazed I was by not only everything there, but the amount of vending machines everywhere! Those vending machines get so much use by the locals that it feels like such a norm as opposed to here in America. It’s also entirely normal to just buy decent food at a gas station according to my friends.

I loved this story about vending machine owner, Tadashi Yoshimoto, who refills his curry and rice concoction twice a day using rice that he grows from his own farm.

[Source]