How smelly are you? Over the past several years the word sumehara has risen to prominence in Japan. Derived from the combination of the English words “smell” and “harassment,” sumehara is the olfactory cousin of sexual harassment. In other words, it refers to the act of causing discomfort to others – particularly in the workplace – via unpleasant body odors. In …

Welcome to the uncanny valley, where hotel rooms are cheap and receptionists are unsettling in appearance. The Ginza district of Tokyo is famous around the world for being one of Japan’s most upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment areas. However, as of February 1, this swanky chunk of land will also be home to the latest location of Japan’s robot-staffed hotel …

It’s like Ex Machina but with Hatsune Miku… Last week at the third annual RoboDEX robotics expo, which was held from January 17-19 in Shinjuku, visitors got to see a very peculiar sight: a life-size robot version of the virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku. Created by a member of the Nihon University Department of Science and Engineering who goes by …

No need to dance to the music, when you can music to the dance. On November 22 the Tokyo University of the Arts hosted a very unique concert in which the star of the show was not a famous musician, but rather an AI system capable of turning dance into music. Developed by Yamaha and dubbed the “Dance Recognition Piano …

It’s like the high-tech Japanese version of Sisyphus and his rock. This past November 29 the Japan Robot Association kicked off the 2017 International Robot Exhibition at the Tokyo Big Sight expo center and among all the amazing examples of robotics and engineering that were on display at this four-day event, one little bento making robot seems to have – …

Let’s just hope there’s no drone crash landings in the middle of their concerts. The Japanese company Drone Net, which sells drones and provides drone related services and information, and the Japanese talent agency HoriPro have temed up in order to create the world’s first drone themed pop idol music group. Called Drone Venus, this six member female music group …

A great way to send your Chinese food flying. Nidec Corporation, a Japanese electric motor manufacturing company who has recently developed a reputation for the creative ways in which they use their motors, has come up with a needlessly high-tech update to the classic rotating platter that you often find at Chinese restaurants. Called the “Smart China Table,” this silly …

NHK fee collectors may soon be replaced by armies of robot Domo-kuns. Domo, or as he is typically called in Japan, Domo-kun (どーも くん Dōmo-kun) is that chocolate bar with a face-looking character that is the mascot of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). He was created in 1998 in order to commemorate the 10th anniversary of NHK-BS, which …

Baldness detecting drones may soon be a thing? Ningen (人間株式会社, ningen kabushiki gaisha), the advertising company behind that video from a few months ago showing off EDM created using female pubic hair is back, and this time they’ve come up with a needlessly complicated way to find out if you’re starting to go bald. What Ningen has come up with …

Mac using Hatsune Miku fans must be sad. A computer parts store in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward currently has on display a custom PC featuring a computer tower that makes it look like the virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku is dancing inside it. The unique computer was created by a team of two, which included the popular PC modder Monma Fabio. …

A Japanese music producer/composer is starting to generate some buzz online thanks to a truly revolutionary product that he is trying to get made via Kickstarter. That product? An electronic crotch drum that will make you the envy of all your friends. Called Banggos, this unique little drum machine was posted to Kickstarter on July 13 by Japanese music producer …

Thanks to a Hokkaido company, farmers may soon be making use of mechanical wolves to keep their crops safe from pesky hungry wildlife. Called the “Monster Wolf,” this interesting alternative to the classic scarecrow was created by the Hokkaido machine parts manufacturing company Ohta Seiki, in an effort to help farmers dealing with animals, such as bears and deer, that …