The world’s first full-length marathon for two-legged robots was held in Osaka last week. The winner took more than two days to cross the finish line.
Robot marathon in Osaka
February 28, 2011
Hadaka Matsuri naked festival
February 24, 2011
The annual Saidai-ji Eyo hadaka matsuri (nudity festival), a ritual said to have originated in the Muromachi Period (1338-1573), was held last Saturday at the Saidai-ji Kannon-in temple in Okayama’s Higashi Ward.
Thousands of men dressed in traditional loincloth packed into the temple grounds and grappled for a pair of shingi (sacred wood), each measuring about 20cm long, and tossed from the window of the temple’s main altar.
According to local belief, those who manage to get their hands on the wooden amulet and race out of the temple’s precincts will be blessed with good fortune for the rest of the year.
Credits: Asahicom@YT & Yeinjee
Japanese hole digging competition
February 17, 2011
Over a thousand people gathered on the outskirts of Tokyo earlier this month with their shovels to take part in the 11th national hole-digging contest. The aim is to dig either the deepest or the most creative hole.
Credits: NTDTV@YT
Seven Japanese Gods of Luck Festival
February 9, 2011
Seven Gods of Luck Festival (Shichifukujin) at Kotohiragu Shrine in Tokyo.
Credits: RoninDave@YT
LED smiles party in the mouth
February 1, 2011
LED Smile, an advertising campaign to advertise a winter sale at Japanese clothing store, Laforet Harajuku.
daito manabe: direction and software programming
motoi ishibashi:hardware programming
device: tomoaki yanagisawa
film and edit: Muryo Homma
Credits: NYtimes, Daito@YT