Best Japanese TV Commercials of 2012

Since the world did not end on December 21st, we can now safely look back and laugh at some of the Best Japanese TV commercials of 2012! This nine plus minute collection of some of the funniest, most bizzare and seriously WTF TV ad spots is brought to us by youtuber JPCMHD. And, for sure, these classic commercials will be taken down soon so check them out now!



See also:

VPN's "Midnight Cooking" Enka TV Show

Japanese TV Fishing = Tentacle Porn (NSFW)

This is Japanese TV. That is All.

Kraftwerk Live in Tokyo @ NO NUKES

Kraftwerk performs "Geiger Counter" and "Radioactivity" live in Tokyo at Makuhari Messe on July 7, 2012. This performance was part of the No Nukes 2012 music festival which was started by composer Ryūichi Sakamoto and included many celebrity musicians and bands. All of the event's proceeds were donated to the anti-nuclear group Sayonara Genpatsu of which Sakamoto is a member.



See also:

Makoto Wada Anti Nuclear Poster

Taiwan's Kaohsiung Stadium 100% Solar Powered

Here are some cool photos of Taiwan's 100% solar-powered coliseum Kaohsiung National Stadium. Opened in 2009 and with a capacity of 55,000, this super solar bowl was host to the 2009 World Games. It has some 8,844 solar panels that power 3,300 lights to illuminate the track and field. Apparently it only takes six minutes for the entire lighting system to activate. The architect for this sun-powered stadium is Toyo Ito. For more information, please visit the stadium's official website.





See also:

Dahu Park Taipei Taiwan Photo

Somewhere in Southern Taiwan...

"Bonsai B" by Takanori Aiba

Here is an incredible miniature sculpture entitled "Bonsai B" by Takanori Aiba. This amazing artist/designer was born in 1953. He started his art career as a freelance maze illustrator in 1978. His maze drawings were regularly featured in the fashion magazine "Popeye" for 10 years. In 1981 he started his own company called “Graphics and Designing Inc.” His work includes some architectural design and conceptual art. Much of Aiba's work is inspired by the traditional Japanese art forms of bonsai (miniature trees) and suiseki (stone appreciation). See more of Aiba's incredible works here.

See also:

Makoto Wada Anti Nuclear Poster

Japanese Bikini Girls Playing in Shit

High Level Asian Ping Pong by GakAttack

Here is an exciting video that features some very high level Asian ping pong by Toronto's very own short filmmaker GakAttack aka. "Yung Lee." Lee is a young and upcoming Chinese-Canadian director and actor. He has gained quite a following through his very clever, funny and action-packed videos. After all he is GakAttack and his "life is action-packed." Check this out:



Some of Lee's more popular shorts include Jedi Ninjas Ft. Team2X and the fantasy fighter Epic Anime Time in which he went to Anime North 2011 and took cosplay to a whole new level! All of his clips are very well produced and feature some incredible stunts and special effects. Be sure to stay tuned to GakAttack.

See also: Indie Japanese Sci-Fi Short "Source"

New Collage Artwork by Rex Ray

Released just today, here is a very beautiful and awesome new collage artwork done by the one and only Mr. Rex Ray:



See also: Rex Ray Clowns

Related:

Art Review: Rex Ray Clowns

Rex Ray to Rob Pongi: "FU"

Jackie Chan Fights Like a Boss in "1911"

Here is a short but very cool fight scene from last year's film "1911." Here we see the invincible Jackie Chan tell three bad guys what time it is just like a boss:



See also: Tommy Lee Jones Acts Like a Boss for Suntory

"Jiro Dreams of Sushi" Trailer

Here is the official trailer for the upcoming documentary film entitled "Jiro Dreams of Sushi." This movie is about the world's greatest sushi chef named Jiro Ono. He is the owner of a small sushi shop known throughout the world as "Sukiyabashi Jiro" and located in Tokyo's Ginza subway station. This restaurant is the only sushi shop to ever win a Michelin Guide 3-star award and reservations are made one year in advance. Jiro Ono is recognized by the Japanese government as a living national treasure.


Coming soon: "Jiro Dreams of Sushi"

Indie Japanese Sci-Fi Short "Source"

Here is an awesome indie Japanese science fiction/crime short film with English subtitles entitled Source:

AD 2044, Japan's once strong prestige in the international community has

tarnished after years of economic stagnation.

In order to reclaim its prestige, the National Strategy Bureau has resorted to an extravagant series of mass media psyops.  

This program is called "Source".





Independent Short Film

Director : A.T.

Producer : Miyo Koya

D.o.P : Yuichiro Otsuka

Visual Effects : finitto inc.

Production design : Hideo Gunji

Lighting design : Katsumi Nakayama

music : Reiji Kitazato/BACKSLASH

sound design : Kazushi Miyakoda

costume styling : Kyohei Ogawa

grip : RISE GRIP Ltd.

Location coordinator : Sun Planet

Production : TYO productions



format : REDmx

See also: Blade Runner Tribute Short by Sam Nicholoson

Liu Bolin: China's #1 'Forever Alone' Artist

While many countries attempt in vain to overthrow Japan as THE #1 WTF superpower, China may now have a lock on the world's #1 Forever Alone artist:



Actually, this is one of the many incredible works by China's world-renowned camouflage artist Liu Bolin. His work has been shown in many countries and one of his recent solo exhibitions “The Invisible Man,” was produced by Eli Klein Fine Art and held in New York.



But before asking yourself "Why, China, Why?" Bolin's art is considered by many as a very poignant statement on our world and the anonymous state of so many poverty-stricken people all over the globe. Early in his career, his exhibits were shut down by Chinese authorities making him virtually 'anonymous' but through that experience he developed his art even more. "My pieces talk about the question of the social status of art in general. In my work the artist is hiding to restore his strength and to protect himself," says Bolin.

After graduating with a master's degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2001, Bolin became a college teacher but resigned after only four years. He then moved to Beijing's old city of Suo Jia Village and began his fantastic voyage. You can see more of Bolin's work here.

See also: China: The Great Wall of Graffiti

Odaiba Tokyo Tilt Shift Video

Here is a very cool tilt-shift video by darwinfish105:



music: demetrios dafos - ensis (musica elletronica me002) by alex palumbo

You can read more about this video and see more awesome videos by darwinfish105 on his blog: High-Def(はいでふ) (Japanese)

See also Thailand Travel Video (Tilt-Shift)

Banksy in North Korea?

Via Gawker June 29th



Adrian Chen — Anti-Kim Jong Il graffiti was found on the wall of a college in Pyongyang. Of course, the government couldn't just wash it off. They locked down the entire capital to hunt for the culprit.

The graffiti, found June 24th on a wall at Pyongyang Railroad College reportedly called Kim Jong Il "a dictator who starved people to death." Not exactly Banksy, but it gets the point across.

The easiest thing would have been to erase the graffiti, then maybe demolish the wall for traitorous behavior. But instead, authorities launched a three-day investigation, cutting off the city and erecting checkpoints for all passersby.

The graffiti apparently stated, “Park Chung Hee and Kim Jong Il are both dictators; Park Chung Hee a dictator who developed his country’s economy, Kim Jong Il a dictator who starved people to death.” One syllable was a man's head and was written on a red brick wall in white chalk, making it quite striking.

See also: Banksy: Exit Through The Gift Shop

"A Moment in Tokyo" by Mark D. Manalo

Shot with a Canon HV30, here is "A Moment in Tokyo" by Mark D. Manalo which features some very exciting views of Shibuya, Harajuku, Roppongi, Ginza, Akihabara, and Shinjuku:




Be sure to see more of Mark Manalo's great videos! See also: Tokyo Glow