TOKYOMANGO

Go climb Mt. Fuji, says Hiro, my friend who is living with ALS

A couple of weeks ago I linked to an article about my high school friend Hiro, who is living with ALS. Now he's written his own thoughts down--an important message to enjoy movement, something he's been stripped of.

Every morning, my helper comes to my apartment and helps me stretch out. He opens the windows, and while I am stretching, I can hear birds singing, cars driving by, kids playing on their way to school, people doing their laundry and such things.

In the past, I simply brushed this away as “noise.” But now, these “noises” mean something more. They represent movement — people and things moving — and movement is something I no longer have. ALS is taking that away from me.

If I had known what was to happen, I would have spent a lot more time feeling, seeing, inhaling and appreciating the world around me. So, I ask you to take a moment tomorrow to walk through the park and simply enjoy it. Look out for me; I’ll be the guy in the wheelchair, smiling.

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Cosmetics made from volcanic ash

There's an award-winning cosmetics company called Tengen that uses volcanic ash from the Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima — called shirasu — to make skincare products. The sediment that Tengen uses is 400,000 years old and found in a secret location. They then combine it with oil and sodium hydroxide to make facial cleansers, gels, and face creams.

via Channel News Asia

Home bath bomb making machine

There's a new toy coming out at the end of this month that I kinda want. It's a bath bomb maker — you know, those big balls of fizzy aromatic goodness for your bathtub that they sell at Lush. The main ingredients in bath bombs are baking soda and citric acid; so basically all you have to do is add your favorite relaxing smells — herbs, rose petals, essential oils — and some water, put all the ingredients in the ball, stir it and compress it, and out pops a perfect bath ball. If only I had a bigger bath tub at home, I would totally use it all the time. It's a fun craft project and great for producing homemade gifts. The kit costs about $40 and comes with enough baking soda and citric acid to get a project started.

Product page (Japanese, via Impress Watch)

Aiiku hospital no longer offers perinatal care

I just found out that the hospital I was born at, Tokyo's Aiiku Hospital, just delisted itself from the official registry of perinatal clinics because they don't have enough doctors. Sad! The hospital, whose name Aiiku is a combination of the kanji for "love" and "grow," is the first of what could be many to delist because it couldn't solve the problem of understaffed, overworked doctors. (If you're listed, it apparently means you have special equipment for dealing with complicated pregnancies.) The hospital was founded in 1938; it's where Princess Kiko gave birth to her baby prince in 2006.

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67 patients get eye infections from laser surgery in Ginza

I've been thinking about getting Lasik for a while now, but yikes. This news makes me think twice. Dozens of patients who got laser eye surgery in a Ginza clinic are suffering from corneal inflammation and conjunctivitis after the clinic allegedly used a dirty steam cleaner to disinfect the devices that slice the surface of people's eyeballs. The clinic was aware of these problems, but they didn't tell health officials; instead they got a replacement disinfection device and hoped it would slide. For shame, Ginza clinic!

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