Awesome Japan

A Japanese matryomin ensemble plays a boogie rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9. Who the what now? A matryomin is a theremin inside a matryoshka doll, aka a Russian nesting doll. Here’s a solo matryomin performance.

A Japanese company called Sagawa Electronics claims that it has developed a powered exoskeleton for teenagers. It has lots of recreational potential, but it’s probably not an actual product. Why? Just watch the video.

Add a dash of life and humor to your meals with Manga Plates. Made by Comicalu, the plates look like frames from a Japanese comic book, complete with sketches that accentuate food. More on Comicalu’s online shop.

A popular Japanese cooking show on YouTube, Cooking with Dog stars an anonymous chef and a dog named Francis. Each episode Francis sits beside the chef and narrates in English. Naturally. It’s confusing and educational.

The Japanese TV show Masquerade challenges contestants to recreate real-world scenarios using dance, acrobatics and inexpensive props. Here, one team simulates baseball player Ichiro Suzuki swinging at a ball. More examples here.

(NSFW) A sampling of the Land of the Rising Sun’s punishing brand of slapstick and twisted take on Western culture. And also indescribable imagery like this human poodle. Oh Japan, you make us nervously happy.

YouTuber Takaske “dances” to Paranoia Revolution in DanceDanceRevolution X3 on the highest difficulty level and the mode that uses both dance pads. Somehow his lightning-fast feet were still no match for the game.

Art Gimbel shot this video of wild Japanese macaques bathing at the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan. Also known as snow monkeys, the primates are used to the presence of humans. View live images of the park here.

Don’t bother wearing underwear ladies and gentlemen, because Gonzo is about to melt them right off. This man’s insane tambourine skills are matched only by his sense of fashion. Keep rocking man.

Patrick W. Galbraith’s fascinating look inside Otaku culture, which is best described as a combination of avid collecting, hoarding, and some sort of an OCD. Features interviews with 15 of these über-fans.

This Japanese skit turned the beautiful game into a slapstick sport, with players wearing binoculars that made things look closer than they really were. Seeing guys kick nothing but air never gets old.

A bizarre recurring sketch from the short-lived Japanese late night comedy show Vermilion Pleasure Night, featuring actresses acting like dolls in stories as random as the ones kids make up.

This excerpt from an episode of Culture Japan shows the Eco Cycle underground bicycle parking lot. Customers get cards that are used to identify their bike, which machines can retrieve in seconds.

An annual lightshow called Winter Illuminations at Japan’s Nabana no Sato covers the grounds and gardens of the park with millions of LEDs. The walk-through light tunnels are truly extraordinary.

Alex Mitchell follows up his Sengoku Avengers by transforming Prof. X, his students and his enemies into Edo Period characters. Hint: the character roster is based on the 90’s X-Men cartoon.

Suidobashi Heavy Industry has launched a site where you can customize the $2M Kuratas mech and then place an order. Who cares if it’s a hoax? We just built a robot. Your argument is invalid.