Awesome Japan

For the last 12 years, Google Japan has been having a little fun with silly and impractical keyboard designs. Their latest concept is a keyboard that’s basically a Möbius strip – a twisted keyboard that loops back onto itself. It has 208 keys and has to be picked up to access them all, but it’s also awesome. Best of all, you can build your own. Turn captions on.

The sequel to the hit samurai action game Ghost of Tsushima features breathtaking vistas that flex the power of the PS5. Set more than 300 years after the events of the first game, Ghost of Yōtei not only has a new setting and protagonist. It also appears to have more open-world exploration and more interactions with animals. Drops 2025.

The latest edition of editor Julius Wiedemann’s coffee table book offers an A-Z catalog of some of the most influential manga creators ever. The 576-page hardcover book includes biographies and bibliographies, example art, and character descriptions from greats like Osamu Tezuka, Katsuhiro Otomo, and more.

“High speed, high impact, and hitting hard as hell.” Great Big Story made this short profile of Thekla and Momo Kohgo. They’re two of the most popular members of Joshi Pro-Wrestling, a women’s pro wrestling league in Japan. Watch them talk about starting out, their challenges, and more. We can’t wrap our heads around the calm and silent crowd.

Since college, instant noodles have been a go-to for a cheap and easy meal. ProcessX visited the Sanpo Foods factory to see how they make Japan’s most popular Yakibuta (braised pork) cup noodles. The highly automated factory uses an army of machines to produce countless noodle strands, package ingredients, and visually inspect each bowl for quality.

Time to hit up your favorite Japan shopping proxy. adidas’ luxury brand Y-3 teamed up with the Japan Football Association to create a collection based on the theme of the 2024 national team’s uniforms: fire. The jerseys are definitely the highlight of the bunch, with large, fiery graphics printed all over the retro shirt and shorts.

This custom metal stamp features a surface that disappears into its face. The Process visited Iwai Press Co., Ltd. to see how they make them. They start with an artist brushing a design on paper, scanning it, and turning it into vector art. The factory then machines the parts using EDM wire cutting and hand assembles them. The stamps sell for over $1000 each.

Japanese automaker Mazda spent its first hundred years making gas-powered vehicles. The Mazda MX30 R-EV is different, combining an electric drivetrain with a tiny rotary engine that operates as a generator. Process X takes us inside the Hiroshima factory that produces the fuel-efficient crossover to see how they build these cars from start to finish.

Process X introduces us to artist Hiroyuki Yamamoto, a master craftsman who makes traditional Japanese masks. Each mask starts as a solid block of wood, which he carves away with a saw, chisel, and other hand tools. He then creates eyes out of copper, applies gold leaf, and paints the mask in vibrant colors to bring his characters to life.

We’ve seen how a factory makes pencils; now, learn how they help undo your mistakes by making erasers. ProcessX toured the Iwako factory in Japan to see how they crank out millions of fun and fanciful erasers shaped like animals, food, and other objects. After designing a 3D model, they injection mold the plastic, remove the sprues, and hand-assemble the parts.

TokyoFlash Japan makes some of the world’s coolest watches – with an emphasis on futuristic digital designs. Now, one lucky Awesomer reader will take home a TokyoFlash watch of their choice. Our faves include the Kaidoku, which tells time with words, the graphic EQ-inspired Equalizer, and the Intoxicated, with its built-in breathalyzer. (Contest Ends 6.28.2024)

After taking us behind the scenes at a Japanese game center, filmmaker Paolo from Tokyo spent a day with Eri, a do-it-all team member at a popular noodle shop in Tokyo’s high-end Ginza district. The relationship and attitude that Eri and her bosses have are just as awesome as the display of talent, energy, and consistency needed to run a restaurant.

Paolo from Tokyo followed Mai as she went about her job as a game center employee in Tokyo. Mai works at a branch of Taito Game Station, one of the largest arcade chains in Japan. It’s a fascinating look not just behind the scenes, but at how much the staff help customers win and get prizes. And yes, Frieren deserves all that fame and more.

Headphones are one of those rare products that can range in price from a few dollars to thousands. This video from Process X shows us why Final can charge more than $3000 for its high-end audiophile headphones. Every set is meticulously machined from solid aluminum and magnesium, then hand-built, including its planar magnetic audio drivers.

While the use of physical currency continues to dwindle, there’s still a need for coins to be produced. Process X takes us on an in-depth tour of Japan’s only coin factory for a look at how they make coins. The Osaka mint produces six kinds of coins, from aluminum 1 yen coins to the copper, nickel, and zinc 500 yen coins shown in the video.

Ships of all sizes need propellers to move through the water. Process X takes us on a tour of Japan’s Mikawa Propeller Co., Ltd., a factory that makes precision marine propellers by casting bronze in sand. After the melting and casting process, workers remove excess sand, painstakingly grind away excess metal, and polish propellers to a smooth finish.