Japan has a long history of innovation in vending machines, particularly in the beverage industry. Beverage vending machines were first introduced in Japan in 1957. However, they gained significant popularity in 1962 when Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Vendo manufactured them for Tokyo Coca-Cola, resulting in 880 units being installed nationwide.
By 1973, the innovation of selling hot drinks through vending machines was introduced, revolutionizing the market with machines capable of switching from dispensing cold beverages in the summer to hot ones in the winter. This was further enhanced in 1977 when vending machines that could simultaneously offer both hot and cold drinks hit the market, offering unparalleled convenience to consumers. Since 2002, vending machines with cashless functions have been installed across the country.
There is a company in Gifu Prefecture that specializes in making traditional kawara, or roof tiles. Established in 1883, their kawara have been used in many temples and houses, including the famous Tōfuku-ji temple in Kyoto, which is listed as one of Japan’s national treasures. Unfortunately, the number of traditional Japanese houses has been decreasing, leading to a decline in the demand for kawara. To adapt, this company and many others like it have started creating charms, pots, plates, lanterns, and other items using the same traditional techniques of making kawara, ensuring that the tradition will carry on.
In November 2022, a renowned beverage company in Japan began selling bottled hot water at stores and vending machines. Around that time, drinking hot water became a new norm for many men and women in Japan. This health-conscious trend is believed to be inspired by principles from Indian alternative medicine. Research has shown that drinking hot water can improve sleep quality, boost metabolism, enhance immunity, and help alleviate dry skin, fatigue, and constipation.
The hadal zone, also known as the hadopelagic zone, is the deepest region of the ocean. It lies within long narrow V-shaped depressions or “trenches” that range from around 6 to 11 km (3.7 to 6.8 miles) below sea level. In August, 2022, an international research group sent a deep sea exploration vessel with two crew members (one of whom was Japanese) to the 9801 meter deep seabed in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench in Japan. At that depth the water pressure is 1 ton per square centimeter. That is like holding a rhinoceros on the tip of your finger. They saw sea cucumber, sea anemone, shrimp, etc. at this depth. On the way there, they saw deepsea armored grenadier fish (シンカイヨロイダラ) and a species of eel, bassozetus robustus (ソコフクメンイタチウオ) at 6000 meter depth, and a snailfish (スネイルフィッシュ) and ghost snailfish (ゴーストスネイルフィッシュ) at 7000 meter depth. A snailfish has been successfully photographed at a depth of 8336 meters, and this was confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the deepest hadal zone fish ever found”.
A mawashi is like a loincloth or woven cloth belt that sumo wrestlers wear when they wrestle. A keshō mawashi has a special silk apron-like thing attached in front. Only wrestlers in the Makuuchi and Jūryō divisions are allowed to wear it. Each wrestler is supported by a sponsor company or an individual, and the keshō mawashi is given them as a reward. One keshō mawashi will cost at least $10,000 USD, and can cost more than one million dollars. A keshō mawashi is usually made from a traditional high quality material like, Nishijin-ori, Hakata-ori, etc., and are only woven by skilled craftsmen.
The Japan Sumo Association holds tournaments every other month and each tournament lasts for 15 days. Each sumo wrestler must fight a match everyday during the tournament otherwise it’s considered a loss. There are six ranking divisions; Makuuchi, Jūryō, Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan, and Jonokuchi. Furthermore, there are five rankings within the top Makuuchi division; Yokozuna, Ōzeki, Sekiwake, Komusubi, and Maegashira. After each tournament, a wrestler’s ranking will be revised based on their result except for Yokozuna. Once a wrestler becomes a Yokozuna, he will never be demoted. But Yokozuna are expected to be the top sumo wrestlers and it is disgraceful and dishonorable if one does not achieve good records for several tournaments. Usually a Yokozuna will retire when he starts failing to win or even to be included in championship matches. Please click here for details on sumo.
In Japan, traditional dolls are called ningyō, but contemporary dolls are called dolls. These dolls are gaining popularity nowadays. They are made with cast resin and their joints are spherical so that you can move their body parts. Doll sizes are usually about 40-60cm (15-24 inches). There are custom made dolls, anime character dolls, and dolls called one-off models, etc. The one-off models are unique and are usually sold by lottery. They often cost more than one thousand dollars.
This doll is a one-off model and was sold by auction at a charity event for about $60,000.
There are many fans of anime, novels, movies, artists, singers, actors, celebrities, sports teams, etc. These fans support what or who they love in many ways. Collecting subject-related consumer goods, and attending special events are the most common fan activities. These commercialized events are usually just fan activities, but sometimes fans help to support a social cause. For example, many fans have volunteered to clean and rebuild an old structure (a swimming pool, garden, park, monument, etc.) which was featured in a story, or happens to look similar to a scene from a movie. Fans may also support the area where a celebrity comes from. There are people who donate money as a fan activity so that professionals can repair things like old swords and statues. There are even young fans who move to the location where a story took place even though it may lie deep in the countryside where mostly only old people live. Traditional Japanese culture may not be so popular among the young, but it is becoming common for young fans to gain an interest in it because of a movie or the influence of a celebrity. Fan activities like these help to keep Japan’s traditional culture alive.
Gokusaishiki Umeiro Komachi Ezu (極彩色梅匂小町絵図) is the title of a fusuma painting by contemporary painter Daruma Shōten (だるま商店) in 2009. The life of the mysterious poet, Ono no Komachi is depicted in this painting. You can see it in Zuishin-In temple (随心院) in Kyoto. This temple is believed to be related to Ono no Komachi.
