TOKYOMANGO

Couple makes sushi with creepy crawly insects

There's a couple in Japan that makes beautiful sushi rolls made out of dead insects. Tony McNicol visited them, but he doesn't say whether he tried one or not. Was it yummy Tony? Do tell.

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Man dedicates his life to carrying lots of beer

Add this to your list of restaurants with quirky waiters in Japan: This guy can carry 20 jugs of beer at once. He's been doing it for 15 years, ever since he saw some guy at school carrying multiple beer jugs in one hand. That's so cool, he thought. So he did it better and made it into a profession. The moral of this story is, if you're really passionate about something, do it, and do it well. Do it better than anybody else in the whole world, and you might end up on TV one day.

Related post: Restaurant has monkeys as waiters
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Zen gadget design article on Gizmodo

On Gizmodo this week, I wrote a feature that explains why Japanese cell phones, despite their proliferate use and fancy shells, are not very useful.

Japan is the epicenter of Zen, a concept with deep religious roots and a mandate for simplicity of appearance and lifestyle. But when it comes to native gadgetry, Zen is only skin-deep. Japanese cell phones are sleek on the outside, but once you open the clamshell, the interface is a complete mess. While American-made phones are leaning more and more towards simple interfaces and clean design, Japanese gadgets continue to be plagued with feature overload and nightmarish interfaces that are totally impractical.

Read Why Zen Software Design Does Not Come From Japan

Mario corset top = sexy?

My friend Jenna found this on Etsy:

A supercute corset made from alternating RARE & vintage Super Mario Brothers and red & white polka dot print fabric, topped off with bias tape flanking the bodice, a delicate sweetheart-shaped bustline, two polka dot ribbon bows, crude contrast stitching and silver metal grommets in the back so you can lace up! FULLY boned for support.

It's custom-made and takes 3-4 weeks, so it's too late to order for Halloween. Company Christmas party maybe? (Thanks, Jenna!)

Keychain looks like roach killer home

Gokiburi Hoi Hoi is Japan's most popular roach killer. It's a cute little red-roofed house made of cardboard and lures roachies inside with tantalizing odors. I think it's like catnip for cockroaches. Once inside, though, the roaches can never get out because the floor of the house is super sticky and they just die there, with their feet stuck on the ground forever. It's hugely popular in part because it uses no airborne chemicals.

Anyway, I found this funny keychain that looks just like a Gokiburi Hoi Hoi. So random.

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