TOKYOMANGO

Get your hand-printed limited edition TokyoMango t-shirt now (2 weeks only)

My friend Ben and I made a test run of TokyoMango t-shirts on Saturday. They're really nice, do you want one? If so, you can buy one here. Below are the details:

- All shirts are 100% cotton.
- Each t-shirt will be hand-silk screened by me and Ben on his Yudu machine. The shirt logo was custom-designed by Ben. Mango design courtesy of my web designer James.
- The Women's tees come in a t-shirt style (pistacio and white) and a spaghetti strap ribbed tank (yellow).
- The Men's tees come in orange and white. In the pic above, Ben is actually accidentally wearing a girl's tee, but you get the idea... the sleeves will be more manly on the one you get.
- You can choose a custom colored tee for $25. Just shoot me an email with your preference after you place the order.
- The sizes tend to run a little big (except for the tanktops). They might shrink in the wash.
- Some of you will receive a free surprise Japanese toy or gadget with your t-shirt! I'm just gonna randomly stick them into bags, so keep an eye out.
- We're taking orders over the next two weeks only, at least for this first printing. They'll ship at the end of those two weeks, when Ben & I will silkscreen them by hand.
- Last day to order is Monday, October 5th.

UPDATE: T-shirts are no longer for sale. Maybe we'll do another round sometime!

Four year old killed by two dogs owned by a lawyer

A four-year old boy died today while visiting his grandma. He was mauled by two dogs belonging to a local lawyer, who owned a little yard that the dogs and the kid were playing in at the time of the incident. The lawyer's name is Takamitsu Shikichi. No word yet as to whether charges will be held against him.

Link

Video of Friday's bus terminal bear attack

People taking a break at a bus terminal not too far from Tokyo were stunned on Friday by a sudden bear attack that left 4 people seriously injured. The black bear was preparing for hibernation and out looking for food. He was shot dead after he ran into the terminal building. Here's a low-res video of him taken by a tourist of the bear mauling one of his victims.

Taiji dolphins freed due to pressure from The Cove

I just got this information from the Oceanic Preservation Society, the organization behind the documentary The Cove about the dolphin killings in Taiji:

Fishermen in Taiji, Japan will be releasing captured dolphins this week in response to international outcry following the award-winning film “The Cove.” Some of the dolphins captured during the annual round up will be sold to aquariums, and while the rest are typically slaughtered in secret, the fishermen will be releasing them because of recent criticism.

...An anonymous Taiji fisheries official said that it’s not clear whether the town will stop killing dolphins permanently. Taiji residents see the dolphin hunt as a tradition that is no different than killing other animals for food. However, the dolphins that are killed and sold as food, often as mislabeled whale meat, contain toxic levels of mercury and are potentially poisoning Japanese consumers.

...The fishermen in Taiji captured about 100 bottlenose dolphins and 50 pilot whales on Wednesday, with plans to sell some of their catch to aquariums for up to $150,000 per animal.

The Taiji government hasn't confirmed yet whether the killings will be halted permanently, but the fact that they're on hold means that they're listening.

Related stories:
The Cove, an upcoming documentary about dolphins in Taiji
Dolphin slaughter: horrible injustice, or just another meal?

Video: She and Her Cat, a lovely short animated film

She and Her Cat is a quiet, beautifully poetic short animated short told from the point of view of a very loyal and contemplative cat. It is directed by a well-known animator and voice actor named Makoto Shinkai and won several awards back when it was made in 1999.

The Cove, an upcoming documentary about dolphins in Taiji

The Cove, a new documentary on dolphin killings in the Japanese town of Taiji, comes out at the end of August. I personally love dolphins, and I used to enjoy watching them swim at hotels and aquariums in Hawaii when I was a kid. Then again, if I knew the story behind their capture back then, maybe I would have become a dolphin activist too. Some people are opposed to the eating of dolphins. I would never eat a dolphin, but I eat other meat and think that's fine, so I'm not conceptually opposed to people eating stuff they want to eat. I'm not sure how I'll feel after seeing this documentary, but I'll let you guys know.

Interestingly, dolphins were not considered worthy of captivity by humans until the 1960s &mdash that's when the American TV show Flipper came out.

Related story:
Dolphin slaughter: horrible injustice, or just another meal?

(Thanks, Ken!)

CDs catered towards relaxation sessions with dogs and cats

From the company that makes Bowlingual comes a new product on August 26, a pair of CDs called Relaxing with Dogs and Relaxing with Cats. The two contain classical music tracks with beats that match the heartbeat of dogs and cats, respectively &mdash 80-100bpm for dogs, a little higher for cats. How awesome is that? My mom always makes fun of me because I used to play the classical music radio station for Ruby when she was a baby. I don't know if that's the reason, but she is super chill.

via MySpi (Japanese)

Video from Okinawa aquarium with whale sharks

Apparently, this beautiful aquarium tank in Okinawa is the second largest in the world. Whale sharks! Last year I swam with one on Maui.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Thanks, Ben!)

Bowlingual Voice, a digital gadget that lets dogs communicate with owners

Several years ago, a doggie gadget called the Bowlingual made waves in Japan after claiming it could translate what your dog was saying every time she barked. Now, Takara Tomy is coming out with a newer version called Bowlingual Voice. There are several key differences between Voice and its predecessor. First of all, Voice is digital &mdash the original Bowlingual was analog. Voice also has a new and improved translation mechanism that has honed its understanding of doggie language to an even sharper point, and thus facilitates real-time two-way conversations between dog and owner.

Bowlingual Voice goes on sale on August 27th, in Japan only, for $200.

Press release (Japanese, via Impress Watch)

Sega Toys to release super-realistic Norwegian forest cat robot soon

On July 30, Sega Toys will release the newest of its uber-realistic robotic animal series. It's made to look, feel, and act just like a Norwegian Forest Cat. It runs on four AAs and will retail for about $100. Perfect for cat lovers with allergies or pet-unfriendly apartments!

Press release (Japanese)

Mysterious tadpole rain has meteorologists baffled

Pink Tentacle reports on a series of strange weather patterns across Japan &mdash tadpoles and little fish have been seen falling from the sky randomly. Meteorologists and scientists alike are baffled by this, as there have been no other known anomalies or disturbances in the weather. Sounds like the beginning of a Haruki Murakami novel.

Link (Thanks, Mat!)

Video: Dog does squats with owner

In this video, an eager dog with strong back legs does squats with his owner in their living room. Awesome! (Thanks, Brian!)

Video: The hen that rides a bicycle

The boy's best friend is a hen named P-chan. The two of them go everywhere together on their bicycle.

via Japan Probe

Video: A dog that plays the piano

I had dinner with childhood friend Tomi from Tokyo last weekend, and he told me he has a dog who looks just like Malcolm that plays the piano. He sent me this video to prove it. Bati is a seasoned pro, but his little sister Luna can't reach the piano so she opts to chew on Tomi's mom's feet and sleeves instead. Tomi's mom, by the way, was my piano teacher when I was in grade school. I think her dog is a better student than I ever was, but oh well.

Seating reserved for Ruby's guests

Today is my dog Ruby's birthday, and to celebrate, I went to Ruby's Diner in Vegas Airport and got her a special Ruby napkin and took photos of their Ruby's guests only sign. That's right, only Ruby's guests are allowed at Ruby's birthday party. Continue reading to see a pic of her with her #1 favorite guest!

Spotted in Izu: cute bird on a cherry blossom tree

I took this photo at the hot spring town of Izu last weekend. These little birds came to a cherry blossom tree at the train station and started happily drinking the sap from the flowers. I took this photo with my Canon G10.

Dog ownership is just as therapeutic as child rearing

Who said dogs aren't as special as kids? Researchers at Tokyo's Azabu University found out that humans generate high oxytocin levels after playing with dogs. Oxytocin is a "bonding" hormone associated with romantic love, friendship, and childcare; it does wonderful things like lower stress levels, fight depression, and breed trust. People always tell me that loving a dog is nothing like loving your own child; I have yet to find out if this is true to me, but I know for a fact that my oxytocin levels are healthily high because of Ruby and Malcolm (above).

Link (Thanks, Ann!)

Dog attacks cop, farmer before being gunned down

Several months ago, I blogged about the Tosa dog, a breed kept almost exclusively for fighting. A man had been mauled to death by his own dog. Another Tosa-related incident occurred yesterday, this one included a dramatic cop attack. A 3-year old male Tosa escaped from his 58-year old construction worker owner's house, jumped into a police car, and tried to attack a 25-year old cop. Another cop pulled the dog out of the car, at which point the dog went at a 39-year old farmer. Eventually, the cops shot the dog to death. All the humans were safe. The cops had actually been called to the scene by a neighbor who reported the dog's escape. Maybe they knew he was exclusively owned for dog fighting.

Have you ever seen Amores Perros? It's a really famous movie about love and dog fighting. I had trouble watching it, but Gael Garcia Bernal was almost hot enough to diffuse the violence.

Link

Related story: Man mauled to death by his own dog

Sea lion is a calligraphy master

What an adorable picture. This highly talented sea lion at a Yokohama sea life park is giving a calligraphy demonstration to an awestruck crowd. He's drawing the kanji for "ox."

Link Image by Kyodo Photo

Patient doggy balances 300 cookies on his body

These dogs are definitely much more patient and well-trained than my two minpins. If anybody knows how to train dogs like this, shoot me an email. I'm dying to find out. OMG, and the monkey. Wow!

Link

Cute kitty poses for Japanese monthly calendar

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This hilarious video calendar features a very cute, super-patient cat that poses as everything from a snowman to a Japanese school boy.

Pomeranian fire brigade fashion models

Step aside America's Next Top Model, these seven sizzling Poms have you guys beat. They are the feisty models for the fashion segment of the 5th annual Inulympic Games (doggie Olympics) held in Yokohama a couple of weekends ago.  (by Emily Co)

Link (Thanks, Vatche!)

Dog's squeaky toy looks like lingerie

Does your furry friend like to steal your bra and panties from your hamper and chew on them in front of guests? I spotted this toy bra and underwear set in a LaLaport pet store. It looks exactly like a real lingerie set, but it squeaks. My dog Peanut is having a ball trying to rip out the lace and ribbons. (by Emily Co)

Richard Gere's new movie about Hachiko

Ever wonder what Richard Gere has been up to? I don't, but I am looking forward to seeing his newest film. It's about Hachiko, the famous Akita dog whose spirit resides in Shibuya Station since the 1930s. He was a smart, loyal doggie who lost his owner at the age of 2. The owner died of a heart attack while he was at work, so the dog never knew of his death. So every day for the rest of his life, he sat in front of Shibuya Station in the late afternoon to early evening, waiting for the owner's return. Other commuters soon caught on to what was happening and started feeding the dog and paying him lots of attention.

Hachiko died of heartworm at the age 11 and the ward erected a statue in his honor. Now it's the most popular meeting spot in Tokyo.

After Hachiko died, they found a whole bunch of yakitori sticks inside his tummy. His stuffed body is now on display at a museum in Ueno.

Video: Japanese cat obsessed with diet drink

This video of a Japanese cat diving into a cardboard box has over 1.4 million views on YouTube. I love that it's a fat cat obsessed with something labeled DIET. Super cute!

Museum features animal poop and books made out of feces

I've written about poop a lot on this blog, but I didn't know about the Himeji Poop Museum until today. The poop museum has a collection of different animal poops on display, that apparently you can poke and play with, in addition to an entire collection of books about poop—including one made out of repurposed elephant poop! Above, you are looking at zebra poop on the left and elephant poop on the right.

via Babelhut (Thanks, Walter!)

Video: What to do if a rhino escapes from the zoo

What do you do if an angry rhino escapes from his cage in the zoo? To make sure the tranquilizer-toting zookeepers are on alert, a zoo in Tokyo had this kinda hilarious Rhino Drill.

via Boing Boing

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.

Link

The crazy chihuahua lady's decked out ride

You know the crazy cat lady? Well, I think I found her chihuahua counterpart outside a Tokyo pet store complete with a chihuahua mobile. Check out the personalized decals of her chihuahuas pasted all over her car. The back and the front seats of her car were fully occupied by very comfy looking doggy beds. Lucky little yappers. (by Emily Co)

Graphic doggy poop poster

It's just a classic pick-up-after-your-dog poster, but one Osaka town decided to use a real pooping dog as its poster boy. If you look closely enough, you can see the little bit of poop that's coming out. He looks humiliated. (by Emily Co)

Tokyo restaurants are more dog-friendly than San Francisco

After spending the last month in Japan and Europe, I have come to the conclusion that, comparatively speaking, you can't take your pet anywhere in the US. Tokyo—as I found out from my friend Mai and her Chihuaranian, Jaky—has tons of dog-friendly restaurants and cafes that serve excellent food. This is a picture of Jaky and Ruby at Enzo in Nishi Azabu. They got to run around while we ate homemade sausage pasta and thin-crust Italian pizza. And in Amsterdam, people were walking in and out of restaurants with their dogs and everyone was riding around in bicycles and mopeds with puppies running alongside them.

While I am horrified by the pet industry in Japan (kill shelters everywhere, backyard breeders breeding for pet stores, pet rentals), I do wish I could get a meal in San Francisco without having to leave Ruby at home. In the US, live animals are not allowed to be in places that serve food because of the health code.

Pigs having sex. Maybe NSFW.

I don't normally post animals having sex on my blog, but here goes. The reporter is talking about how the pigs are being isolated at this Ibaragi pig farm because germs from human apparel are affecting their health. She is describing how delicate pigs are when she turns around to see two giant pigs going at it. Judging from her outfit and the conservativeness of her reaction, I'd guess that this was a newscast from the 80s?

Link

Baby panda conceived by artificial insemination dies

Sad news for zoo pandas. A baby was born last Tuesday to a 12-year old panda named Tan Tan at the Kobe Zoo; it was the first one conceived through artificial insemination in 20 years. The little thing was dead by Friday afternoon. Zoo officials suspect it may have been because of rough handling or not enough milk from the mom. I don't know if that has anything to do with the artificial insemination factor. The dad was another Kobe Zoo panda, Ko Ko.

Link

Real live Pokemon auctions for $925 million

On a Yahoo! Japan auction site a few years ago, somebody sold 20 real live Pikachus for $925 million. Here's a quick and dirty translation of what the listing said:

We capture each one after your order, so we guarantee its health! These are Pikachus plucked straight from the natural Pikachu forest, so they're of much higher quality than ones you'd get from a breeder or in other regions. Great for those who are lacking in good conversations with family, who want solace if living alone, who need a new hobby, who love cute and trendy things, or who are looking for a present for a girlfriend or a child. Limited edition! Limited to only 20! First come first serve! We'll include a 60-minute video on how to raise a Pikachu if you buy 3 months worth of Pokemon food.

Link (In Japanese) (Thanks, Ichiru!)

Canine Massages, Spa Baths, and Hair Dye for Human Prices

Does your dog need a professional massage? Here at this Doggie Reflexology spa in Azabu Juban, your dog can get 15 minutes of bliss for just 1575 yen ($16). Ridiculous, right? You can also buy her an onsen-style bath for $30, a trim for $60, and—get this—a henna hair dye job for $30.

Anyway, why wouldn't a dog owner want to massage her own dog? I love rubbing Ruby's ears and neck. It brings me just as much relaxation as it does to her. And I know her snout has started to gray (she turned five this year), but seriously? I am not about to get it professionally colored.

But I will not judge those who are into this stuff. In fact, may I recommend the canine oxygen cell for those who want their dogs to acquire instant beauty and health.

Designer Doggie Clothes at Fifi & Romeo

Fifi & Romeo is this super luxury expensive doggy brand based out of LA. Here are some pics from the Azabu Juban store in Tokyo—each of these silly little outfits costs over $100/ea. Ruby doesn't get to wear shit like this, she only gets weird-shaped sweaters I knit for fun out of my Stitch-n-Bitch book.

Praying Chihuahua Wants Food

Conan the chihuahua lives at an Okinawan temple and prays alongside its monks that he'll get lots of cookies for dinner.

Link

Pandas Celebrating Christmas in China

Happy December! Why don't we have furry cuddly giant animals celebrating Christmas like this in Japan?

Link (Thanks, Jason!)

Dolphin Slaughter: Horrible Injustice? Or Just Another Meal?

This is a disturbing video featuring an angry fisherman in Taiji, Japan, where thousands of dolphins are killed each year for food. The Earth Island Institute and its partners have teamed up to form a pretty vocal campaign against the killings, capturing video footage of the dolphins and sending dozens of surfers, actors, and activists to the now infamous shore to protest the trade and honor the dead dolphins.

The fishermen claim that dolphins are part of the cuisine in this part of Japan, and that this is no different than fishing or hunting other animals for food. But people love dolphins, and that simple argument isn't enough to shut protesters — who include celebrities like Hayden Panettiere from Heroes — up.

Panettiere was in Japan just last week, swimming in the ocean, crying. Here's another video focusing more on her role in the protest.

I have to admit that I saw this video and was horrified. I LOVE dolphins! But the fishermen do raise a good point: What is it about the slaughter of dolphins that crosses the line? Why does the death of a baby dolphin bother us so much more than lamb or veal?

(Thanks, Brian!)

Gourmet Bento for Dogs Now Sold at a Highway Stop Near You

Dogs get hungry on long road trips, too. Now, highway stops on Tokyo expressways are going to be selling the "Dora Bento," a lunch box prepared specifically for traveling canines.

Mainichi reports:

Included in the dog's boxed meal will be prime chicken breast, unpolished-rice based bread, vegetable soups, seasoning and a rice cracker for dessert. The meal has no artificial preservatives or additives. The healthy dish comes packed in a box whose lid can be turned over and used to serve water to the dog.

Genius!

USB Dog Tag/Chew Toy

These colorful, 512MB USB drives from Solid Alliance are shaped like doggie bones and also have that chewy, silicone-y texture that dogs love to chew on. This thing wouldn't last a minute in Ruby's presence. Anyway, it can also double as a cute little dog tag—you can store all your dog's information on the drive in case she ever gets lost.

Stuffed Doggie Webcam

Obsessed with cute-ifying your cubicle? This stuffed puppy dog doll is actually a functioning PC webcam. He'll hang out on your screen all day, keeping you company and monitoring your every move.

Product page (via Gizmodo Japan)

The Hamster Wheel Pedometer

Worried that your pet hamster's not getting enough exercise in his cage? This pedometer is actually a hamster wheel attachment that measures how many times the wheel rotates and then gives you an exact measurement of how much distance he's covered in any one stretch of time. Pretty crazy! But then again, if there's a pedometer for dogs, why not one for hamsters?

Link

 

Ruby Hotel Story in Wired

A couple months ago, I put Ruby in a pet hotel in San Francisco as an experiment. Here's a screenshot of her, and my write-up of it appears in this month's Wired:

Room Z5 is empty except for a faux-suede floor pillow, a 14-inch flatscreen TV, an IP network camera, and a 9-pound miniature pinscher sitting motionless by the steel door. After a few minutes, the pooch gets up, walks across the room, and settles on the pillow, almost covering the white letters that spell out w-a-g. Kitschy dance music wafts in from the hallway. A dog yelps in the background.

Read the full story.

Monkeys and Dogs Doing Sit-Ups

The average Japanese boy can do 19 sit-ups a minute. But what about the average monkey, or the average bulldog? This hilarious video, featuring Pan the Monkey and James the Bulldog, investigates.

I love how there are real kids seriously trying to set records right on the same mat.

Oxygen Cell Slows Down Canine Aging

This little creature is Ram, a 3-month old french bulldog. And he's standing inside the world's first canine oxygen cell—developed by Air Press, a human oxygen therapy salon that claims to slow down aging—that is supposed to help dogs relax. Hahahaha! I can bet you a billion dollars that Ruby will NOT relax in that thing. In fact, don't you think most dogs would freak the fuck out? 30 minutes in this torture chamber costs 2000 yen, or about $17.

Link

Beer for Dogs

You love your dog, so why strip her of one of the greatest pleasures in life after a long day at work? Doggie beer is actually a real malted beverage that has been re-engineered to be non-alcoholic and dog-friendly. To fit your dog's tastes, this drink has chicken and beef extract, as well as Vitamins C and E.

Related story: Beer for Kids!

 

Ruby Meets Mario, and Ignores Him

In this exciting home video, my favorite video game character tries to grab the attention of my favorite little dog, but fails miserably because cute little dogs have better thinks to think about than stars that make you invincible and mushrooms that make you bigger (like cookies and toys and dinner).

Tomato Shaped Like a Bunny

More weird-shaped produce from Japan...This one's a bunny-eared tomato that popped up a 75-year old granny's backyard in Fukuoka. There were actually three of them, and they've made Granny Tomato into a celebrity of sorts—everyone's coming over now to take pictures and ooh and aaah at the cute little bunny-mato.

For more oddly-shaped produce, check out these humanoid watermelons and heart-shaped cucumbers.

Link

The World Beetle Championships

I never really understood why, but playing with beetles and crayfish has always been a favorite pastime for Japanese kids. I remember going to the park near my elementary school and watching the boys pick these things up with their hands and play with them.

But this the first I've heard of the Beetle World Championships. The tourny was held today in Tokyo, and kids like these put numbers on their favorite beetles, put them in a miniature fighting ring, and made them battle until one prevailed as the ultimate beetle champion of the world.

Link

Doggie Popsicles

It's hot as hell in Tokyo right now. Don't you think your doggie deserves a popsicle, too? Here are some cool ice treats made especially for dogs. It's produced by the same company that make human popsicle favorites like the soda-flavored Gari Gari Kun. Yummy!

Link