TOKYOMANGO

Does Your Neighborhood Sushi Joint Have a Stamp of Approval?

A little over a year ago, the government announced plans to start a worldwide authentication program for Japanese food.

Then, in 2007, it cancelled the program. No precise reasons were stated, but I suspect it may have been because some protested, and some doubted whether this was biased to all those other hard-working restauranteurs who sell "fake" Japanese food.

Today, a revised campaign was announced. This time, the program is being initiated by a non-profit organization with the blessing of the agriculture ministry. And it insists that its goal is not intended to play "sushi police." Starting now in Bangkok, Shanghai, and Taipei and by the end of March in Amsterdam, London, LA, and Paris, government-approved restaurants will have an authenticity symbol—a pair of chopsticks holding a cherry petal in front of the rising sun—stamped on their windows next to the Zagat ratings and all that stuff.

What do you think guys? Good idea? Bad idea?
BTW, Italy does the same thing in Japan.

I love it if only because it will save me that occasional fifty bucks I spend on fake Japanese restaurants that do a pretty good job of pretending they're real.

(Thanks, Sam and Walter!)

Company Offers Paid Time Off for Break Ups

A small women-only marketing firm in Tokyo is offering its employees heartbreak leave.

"Not everyone needs to take maternity leave but with heartbreak, everyone needs time off, just like when you get sick," the CEO says. She's the one who came up with the idea—it's scaled according to age, with staff 24 and younger getting one day a year, and those older than 30 getting up to three days of paid leave.

The reason?

"Women in their 20s can find their next love quickly, but it's tougher for women in their 30s, and their break-ups tend to be more serious."

Link (Thanks, Silicon Druid!)

Video: How to get pen marks off your hands

Here's my friend James sampling a trick from my book—getting pen marks off your hands and arms using tea bags. Check out how well it works with a Sharpie!

Book's not out yet, but once it is, we're gonna be asking readers to submit their own videos too.

Colorful Individual Coffee-Makers

These individual coffee-makers are great for people who not only don't have time to drink coffee at home, but those who can't sit around for it to brew. The drip part is removable, so you can put it away once you're done with it.

Product page (Japanese, via Impress Watch)

Rape Whistle for Kids

You want your kid to be safe when she's walking home from school. This teddy-bear-shaped rape whistle doubles as a flashlight and is cute enough to be mistaken for a function-less charm that hangs from her backpack.

Get yours here.