+ Video
By fading back and forth between scenes of pre- and post-quake Tokyo, this time-lapse video by YouTube user darwinfish105 shows how the metropolitan nightscape has been affected by Japan's ongoing power shortages and conservation efforts.
Time-lapse video of slightly darkened Tokyo
19 Apr 2011
Quakebook
13 Apr 2011
The much-anticipated Quakebook (2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake) -- a wide-ranging collection of personal accounts and reflections about the massive earthquake that struck Japan on March 11 -- is now available as a Kindle eBook on Amazon, and the entire purchase price ($9.99) goes to the Japanese Red Cross Society to assist those affected by the disaster. Highly recommended. [Link]
(Note: Non-Kindle owners can also read the book by first downloading one of the free reading applications for other mobile devices and computers here.)
Namazu-e: Earthquake catfish prints
06 Apr 2011
In November 1855, the Great Ansei Earthquake struck the city of Edo (now Tokyo), claiming 7,000 lives and inflicting widespread damage. Within days, a new type of color woodblock print known as namazu-e (lit. "catfish pictures") became popular among the residents of the shaken city. These prints featured depictions of mythical giant catfish (namazu) who, according to popular legend, caused earthquakes by thrashing about in their underground lairs. In addition to providing humor and social commentary, many prints claimed to offer protection from future earthquakes.
1. Earthquake victims take revenge on the giant catfish responsible for the destruction [+]
The popularity of namazu-e exploded, and as many as 400 different types became available within weeks. However, the namazu-e phenomenon abruptly ended two months later when the Tokugawa government, which ordinarily maintained a strict system of censorship over the publishing industry, cracked down on production. Only a handful are known to survive today.
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2. Namazu and the kaname-ishi rock [+]
Namazu are normally kept under control by the god Kashima using a large rock known as kaname-ishi. The Great Ansei Earthquake of 1855 is said to have occurred when Kashima went out of town and left Ebisu (god of fishing and commerce) in charge. In this print, the giant subterranean catfish unleashes destruction on the city while Ebisu sleeps on the job. Kashima rushes home on horseback while the city burns, and Raijin the thunder god defecates drums. Large gold coins fall from the sky, symbolizing the redistribution of wealth during the rebuilding phase.
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3. Tug-of-war between namazu and the god Kashima [+]
This print shows a namazu engaged in a fierce game of "neck tug-of-war" with the god Kashima. A group of earthquake victims root for Kashima, while those who typically profit from earthquakes (construction workers, firemen, news publishers, etc.) root for the catfish.
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4. Ancient catfish (Artists: Kyosai Kawanabe and Robun Kanagaki)
Produced two days after the earthquake, this work by Kyosai Kawanabe and Robun Kanagaki is considered the first namazu-e catfish print. The picture, which makes reference to a popular kabuki play of the era, inspired the creation of many namazu-e prints to follow.
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5. Magical method of earthquake protection [+]
This protective print, which claims to prevent earthquake damage to one's home if attached to the ceiling, shows a group of remorseful catfish apologizing to the god Kashima for causing earthquakes while he was away.
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6. Catfish family
This print shows a mob of earthquake victims coming to take revenge on a namazu and its children.
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7. For peace and tranquility [+]
In this print, which claims to offer protection from earthquakes, the god Kashima and prostitutes from the Yoshiwara red-light district express their anger toward the catfish responsible for earthquakes.
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8. Namazu saviors
Some prints show the benevolent side of namazu. Here, they are seen rescuing people from the rubble.
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9. Daikoku, the popular god of wealth, restrains a namazu and showers people with money [+]
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10. Kashima restrains a namazu using the kaname-ishi rock
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11. Kashima, kaname-ishi, and namazu [+]
In this print, the god Kashima is pictured in the top right corner. The kaname-ishi rock, portrayed as a person, stands on the head of the catfish, while a crowd of people try to subdue the giant beast. The people on the left who are not helping subdue the catfish include construction workers and others who typically profit from earthquakes.
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12. Earthquake hand game
This print is a reference to the old Japanese saying, "The most frightening things are earthquakes, thunder, fires, and fathers." Here, a namazu plays janken (paper-rock-scissors) with the gods of thunder and fire while an elderly man (father) looks on.
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13. Earthquakes, thunder, fires and fathers [+]
This print also makes reference to the old Japanese saying, "The most frightening things are earthquakes, thunder, fires, and fathers." Here, a namazu and the gods of thunder and fire discuss their powers over a fish dinner while a middle-aged man (father) looks on.
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14. Tipsiness following the great namazu [+]
In this print, the god Kashima stabs his sword into the throat of the namazu, which is laid out on a giant table. The crowd of onlookers is divided into two groups. The people in the top half of the picture are labeled as "smiling" (those who benefit from the earthquake) and the people at the bottom are labeled as "weeping" (those who are harmed by the earthquake). The top group includes a carpenter, a plasterer, a lumber salesman, a blacksmith and a roofer, as well as an elite courtesan, an ordinary prostitute, a physician, and sellers of ready-to-eat foods. The bottom group includes a teahouse proprietor, an eel seller, various entertainers such as musicians, comedians and storytellers, a seller of luxury goods, a diamond seller, and a seller of imported goods.
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15. Prosperity of the Ansei era [+]
This print, which shows a namazu punishing a rich man and a famous actor, illustrates a popular theory that the gods deliberately allowed the earthquake to happen in order to rectify some of the imbalances in the world.
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16. Namazu attacked by the citizens of Edo [+]
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17. Catfish and construction workers partying in the Yoshiwara red-light district, pt. 1 [+]
This print depicts a crowd of namazu and newly prosperous construction workers living it up at a parlor house in the Yoshiwara pleasure district.
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18. Catfish and construction workers partying in the Yoshiwara red-light district, pt. 2 [+]
This print also shows carpenters, plasterers and roofers drinking and making merry in the Yoshiwara pleasure district while a namazu is restrained with a gourd.
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19. The earthquake and a "million prayers" [+]
This print depicts a namazu as a priest seated inside a giant rosary. The creature does not want to cause any more earthquakes, but the "worshipers" -- tradesmen such as lumber dealers and carpenters who profit from the disaster -- are praying for it to act up again. The ghosts of earthquake victims float overhead.
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20. Earthquake catfish and world rectification [+]
In this print, a group of construction workers pay respect to the namazu for helping them strike it rich.
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21. The shaking of greater Edo [+]
This print shows a massive steamship-like namazu approaching the city. The creature is spouting money, and people on shore beckon for it to come closer. The depiction of this namazu conjures up images of Commodore Perry's black ships, which arrived in Japan in 1853 and eventually forced the country to open its ports to Western commerce.
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22. The perpetrators of three big quakes captured alive [+]
In this print, the god Kashima has captured the catfish responsible for the major earthquakes in Shinshu, Edo, and Odawara. A carpenter, fireman, plasterer and roofer try to persuade the god to release the catfish, saying the creatures have apologized enough. The unforgiving Kashima sentences the fish to be cooked in a nabe stew.
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23. Namazu of Edo and Shinshu
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24. Ebisu apologizes [+]
In this print, Ebisu (god of fishing and commerce) apologizes to Kashima for falling asleep on the job after drinking. The catfish leader is also apologizing, saying it was the thoughtless ones that went wild.
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25. Peace in the Ansei era
This print shows the god Kashima using the kaname-ishi to subdue the namazu responsible for the recent earthquakes.
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26. Namazu is wrestled into submission and placed under the kaname-ishi rock [+]
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27. Ridgepole raising
This print shows a group of namazu construction workers erecting the kanji character ƽ (hira), which can symbolize "peace."
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28. A man entertains a namazu [+]
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29. People inspect a namazu picture
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30. Monster namazu in the storehouse [+]
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31. Gourd and catfish
In this print, a namazu tries to help a comrade escape from a trap by handing it a gourd. The image is a reference to the old Japanese expression "gourd and catfish" (meaning "slippery" or "elusive"), which originates from a famous 15th-century Zen painting of a man trying to catch a catfish with a gourd.
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32. Mob takes revenge on a namazu [+]
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33. Catching a catfish with a gourd (Artist: Kunisada Utagawa) [+]
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34. People who profit from earthquakes make offerings to a namazu [+]
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35. Fear of Kashima
This print shows people dancing around a namazu dressed as a representative of Kashima shrine in an annual ritual held before the start of the new agricultural season. The image of the rabbit represents the zodiac year of the rabbit (1855).
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36. Reassurance of the quake-suppressing rock [+]
A crowd of elderly people, carpenters, young wives, china-shop owners, entertainers, Yoshiwara prostitutes, physicians, and others are offering prayers to the kaname-ishi rock, believed to have the power to keep earthquakes in check. When a person in the crowd voices his doubts about the rock's powers, the rock responds, "I assure you that if the earth moves even a little I will stand on my head." In the original Japanese, this answer features a pun on the words ishi-gaeshi ("overturning a rock") and ishu-gaeshi ("taking revenge").
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37. Earthquake protection song
In this print, Daikoku, the popular god of wealth, showers people with money while the god Kashima restrains a namazu.
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38. Frightened namazu [+]
This print shows a mother namazu chasing a mob of people who have kidnapped her two children. The message on the flag carried by a person in the crowd suggests they intend to grill and eat the young catfish.
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39. Namazu with construction tools, portrayed as the legendary warrior Benkei
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40. The god Ebisu restrains a giant catfish with a gourd [+]
[More: Disaster Prevention Museum, National Diet Library]
High-resolution photos of Fukushima Daiichi
01 Apr 2011
These high-resolution aerial photographs of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were taken on March 20 and 24, 2011 by a small unmanned drone operated by Air Photo Service, a company based in Niigata prefecture. Click [Enlarge] under each image for the full version.
[Enlarge] Unit 3 (left) and Unit 4 (right) - March 24
[Enlarge] Left to right: Unit 4, Unit 3, Unit 2 and Unit 1 - March 20
[Enlarge] Unit 3 - March 24
[Enlarge] Unit 4 - March 24
[Enlarge] Unit 4 (left) and Unit 3 (right) - March 20
[Enlarge] Top to bottom: Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 4 - March 20
[Enlarge] Unit 4 (left) and Unit 3 (right) - March 24
[Enlarge] Unit 3 - March 24
[Enlarge] Left to right: Unit 3, Unit 2 and Unit 1 - March 20
[Enlarge] Left to right: Unit 1 (partially visible), Unit 2, Unit 3 and Unit 4
[Via: Cryptome]
Hifana – Rainy Session
31 Mar 2011
Breakbeat duo Hifana (a.k.a. KEIZOmachine! and Juicy) mellow out in a rainy day session with Keisuke Muto (sitar), U-zhaan (tabla) and Izpon (percussion). Just chill.
+ Video
Cute ‘Pluto-kun’ cartoon dispels plutonium fears
29 Mar 2011
In the early 1990s, Japan's Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) -- a nuclear energy research organization which is now part of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) -- created a pro-nuclear PR cartoon entitled "Pluto-kun, Our Reliable Friend." The aim of the animated film, which features the company mascot Pluto-kun, is to dispel some of the fears surrounding plutonium. Scroll down for a rough summary.
+ Video
[~1:30] The video begins with Pluto-kun disguised as a ghost. He explains that much of the fear surrounding plutonium is due to misconceptions. He says that it is very unfortunate that plutonium is used in nuclear weapons [like the one dropped on Nagasaki]. But he hates war! He loves to work for peace. He aspires to be like dynamite, whose power has been used for the benefit of mankind.
[1:30] Pluto-kun provides some basic information about plutonium. He explains that plutonium is created from uranium in nuclear reactors. He also says it was discovered by the US scientist Glenn T. Seaborg in 1940, and that it was named after the dwarf planet Pluto. (See Wikipedia for more.)
[2:30] Misconception #1 -- Pluto-kun addresses the fear that criminals could obtain plutonium and build a nuclear weapon. He explains two reasons why this would be virtually impossible. First, weapons require plutonium with a purity of at least 93%, but plutonium from reactors is only about 70% pure. A high level of technology would be required to produce weapons from this plutonium. Second, a high level of security is maintained around plutonium in Japan, making it all but impossible to steal.
[4:00] Misconception #2 -- Pluto-kun addresses the fear that plutonium is deadly and causes cancer. Plutonium's danger to the human body stems from the alpha radiation it emits. Because alpha radiation is relatively weak, it does not penetrate the skin, and plutonium is not absorbed into the body if it comes into contact with skin. He explains that you would not die instantly if you were to drink plutonium. If swallowed, the vast majority simply passes through the digestive tract without being absorbed. If it enters the blood stream (through a cut, for example) it cannot be removed easily from the body. It accumulates in the lymph nodes before ending up in the bones or liver, where it continues emitting alpha radiation. Plutonium can also get into the liver or bones if it is inhaled into the lungs. It is important not to breathe it in or allow it to enter the blood stream.
[6:00] No human is ever known to have died because of inhaling or ingesting plutonium.
[7:00] Pluto-kun explains what would happen if criminals dumped plutonium into a reservoir that provides our drinking water. Plutonium is heavy and it does not dissolve easily in water, so most of it would sink to the bottom. Even if you were to drink plutonium-laced water everyday, the vast majority of it would simply pass through the digestive system without being absorbed by the body.
[7:30] Pluto-kun suggests that the dangers of plutonium are often overemphasized, making it seem scarier than it actually is. He explains that most people associate plutonium with deadly radiation and nuclear weapons, but he likens this to a fear of non-existent ghosts.
[9:40] Pluto-kun explains that he is not a monster, and he asks you to understand who he truly is. As long as people use him peacefully and with care, there will never be any danger or anything to fear. He will provide an endless source of energy for a long time to come. He will be a reliable friend.
Video: SWITL magic goop scoop
28 Mar 2011
SWITL -- an impressive "robot hand" tool developed by factory equipment manufacturer Furukawa Kikou -- seems to defy the laws of nature by picking up deposits of gels, sauces and other soft semi-liquids without smearing them or altering their shape. This demo video shows how well the tool handles mayonnaise and ketchup.
Details about the technology are not available on Furukawa Kikou's website (perhaps because the patent is pending), but the tool appears to incorporate a conveyor belt design. According to the company, the magic goop scoop was originally developed for use in bakery production lines, but its unique ability to cleanly handle semi-liquids makes it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Video: ‘Machine Civilization’ – World Order
25 Mar 2011
World Order -- the celebrated music/dance performance group led by former martial artist Genki Sudo -- has released a fabulously choreographed video for the track "Machine Civilization," along with some words of hope following the recent devastation in Japan.
+ Video
Sudo's message in the YouTube video description:
The unprecedented disasters unfolding in Japan; earthquakes, tsunami, and nuclear explosions, will somehow change things to come. And to send my message about this, I have expressed it here with WORLD ORDER.
These disasters can be interpreted as a turning point for civilization. I think that we have arrived at a time of revolution, shared with all the people of the world, in today's society, economy, and political systems.
Incidents themselves are neutral. I believe that every single one of us, wandering through this deep darkness, can overcome anything, if only we let go of our fear, and face the it all in a positive light.
The world is not going to change. Each one of us will change. And if we do, then yes, the world will be changed. It is darkest right before the dawn. Let's all rise up to welcome the morning that will be so very bright for mankind.
Electricity conservation posters
22 Mar 2011
In Tokyo and surrounding areas, signs of electricity conservation are visible everywhere. Rolling blackouts are in effect, train services have been scaled back, stores and businesses are using fewer lights, advertising signs and escalators have been switched off, and even some pachinko parlors have cut their hours of operation. On Twitter, a community of graphic designers has sprung up to create posters encouraging people to save power. Residents of eastern Japan are encouraged to print them out and post them where they live and work. [Link: Setsuden via GaijinPot]
Everyone save electricity
Please cooperate in conserving electricity
Save power and carry on
Let's conserve electricity! Switch OFF!
Turn OFF the power. Now anybody can be Santa.
Power saving!
The amount you turn off will light someone else up.
Please conserve electricity.
Save electricity. Save somebody.
Save electricity. Switch off.
The light you turn off will light up a smile.
Now conserving power
The quickest aid you can provide now is electricity.
Saving energy & open for business
Open for business in power saving mode!
Conserve electricity to prevent massive power failures!