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Sharp Unveils Fog-Free Face Shields
Electronics firm Sharp has developed face shields that do not fog up or glare like conventional products do.
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Tree Rubbings of Artist Stranded in NYC
When the pandemic hit, Japanese artist Keiko Miyamori found herself stuck in New York, missing exhibitions in Japan. As a way to keep her spirits strong, she created tree rubbings, placing them in charming glass boxes. Check out the fruits of her labors.
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Turning Fashion Trash to Functioning Treasure
A Japanese designer has created a stunning, yet functioning chair that's made entirely from excess fabric from the fast fashion industry.
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Worship Your Feline Friend with Its Own Shrine
Your cat already walks around like a god of the house, so why not get a cardboard shrine to show your true devotion.
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Osaka Contest for Mini-Gardens on Small Trucks
The Kei-tora Gardening Contest has chosen its winner for 2020. Click to see which mini-truck garden received to top prize.
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Ceramics Workshop Designed by Kengo Kuma
Star architect Kengo Kuma puts his signature stamp on yet another building with this ceramics museum and workshop in Komatsu.
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Fugaku Reigns as World’s Fastest Supercomputer
Riken institute said Japan’s Fugaku remains the world’s fastest supercomputer in international rankings released twice a year.
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Enliven Your Senses with Scented Paints
For all those who took up painting as a therapeutic way to pass the pandemic, now you can take it up a notch with scented paints called Kanogu.
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Eye-Catching Pieces from ArtKyoto 2020
ArtKyoto is back and we've got the scoop on some of the coolest artworks on exhibit this year.
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App Improves Communication Hindered By Masks
An app is helping to facilitate communication in the new normal for the hearing impaired, the elderly, and people who speak different languages.
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Tokyo's Stunning 'Mizuhiki' LED Christmas Tree
One of the most modern and innovative designs we've seen this year for Christmas trees features the traditional craft of 'mizuhiki' hand-twisted cords.
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The Great Wave of Lego Bricks
Japan’s only certified professional Lego block builder pays homage to one of Japan's most influential woodblock prints with this epic Lego masterpiece.
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Hayabusa2 Returns with Asteroid Samples
Japan’s Hayabusa2 space explorer brought 5.4 grams of substances believed to be from the asteroid Ryugu on a capsule that returned to Earth earlier this month.
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A Musical Scale to Maintain Social Distance
A mural by Eisuke Tachikawa is helping visitors to the Minato Mirai Hall stay socially distant while possibly getting the first few notes of Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie stuck in their head.
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Rebranding the Historic Izumo Taisha Shrine
Creative director Yu Yamada and art director Kishino Shogo worked with Izumo Taisha to modernize the crests and symbols of the shrine.
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Tech That Measures Congestion in Indoor Areas
Officials tested a system at Tokyo Dome that uses state-of-the-art technology to measure congestion in indoor arenas.
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Honda to Sell World 1st Level 3 Automated Car
Honda Motor plans to start selling the world’s first commercially available Level 3 automated cars by the end of March 2021. Level 3 vehicles can drive autonomously by detecting the environment around them, not needing driver input.
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Artist Makes 3D Sculptures of Strange Pet Pics
For one artist, scrolling past cute viral pics of animals is enough to inspire crafting sculptures that imagine new creatures.
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2020's Kanji of the Year Revealed
Learning Japanese Life in Japan
As he does every December 12, the head abbot of Kiyomizudera Temple took his usual place in front of a blank board on the site’s famous balcony, raised a large brush, and began the strokes that revealed the top character for 2020.
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Trees on Trees on Trees: Cedar Platforms
Have you ever seen a tree growing atop another? Come learn why this cool and ancient technique encourages proper forestation.