Yes, they wood build a satellite out of that material

31 May 2024 at 12:12

Magnolia wood is great for building, as it resists splitting and glues well. It's so good that Japan built the LignoSat probe out of the wood, which will be better for Earth when the satellite inevitably reenters the atmosphere.

Japan's Push To Make All Research Open Access is Taking Shape

Slashdot

msmash

31 May 2024 at 14:50

The Japanese government is pushing ahead with a plan to make Japan's publicly funded research output free to read. From a report: In June, the science ministry will assign funding to universities to build the infrastructure needed to make research papers free to read on a national scale. The move follows the ministry's announcement in February that researchers who receive government funding will be required to make their papers freely available to read on the institutional repositories from January 2025. The Japanese plan "is expected to enhance the long-term traceability of research information, facilitate secondary research and promote collaboration," says Kazuki Ide, a health-sciences and public-policy scholar at Osaka University in Suita, Japan, who has written about open access in Japan. The nation is one of the first Asian countries to make notable advances towards making more research open access (OA) and among the first countries in the world to forge a nationwide plan for OA. The plan follows in the footsteps of the influential Plan S, introduced six years ago by a group of research funders in the United States and Europe known as cOAlition S, to accelerate the move to OA publishing. The United States also implemented an OA mandate in 2022 that requires all research funded by US taxpayers to be freely available from 2026. When the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) announced Japan's pivot to OA in February, it also said that it would invest around $63 million to standardize institutional repositories -- websites dedicated to hosting scientific papers, their underlying data and other materials -- ensuring that there will be a mechanism for making research in Japan open.

They are not maternal. They are PUNK AS F*CK.

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mikeand1

24 May 2024 at 20:27

Otoboke Beaver: A quartet from Kyoto with an unusually complex and original stye of punk rock, played with great precision, energy, and attitude. Their songs tend to stop, start, and change tempo unpredictably, but they make it look deceptively easy and natural.

The name is taken from a cheap love hotel in Osaka. "Otoboke" describes one clowning around in a buffoonish manner. Which they often do, but sometimes it makes you wonder if the buffoon they're mocking is you. Their lyrics are peppered with Kansai-ben (lingo and wordplay unique to the regional dialect of Kansai), often with crude sexual references that are hilarious if you're in on the joke. And the bits of English they put in their lyrics remain unabashedly Japanese. "I was irritated by the comment, 'If you can't pronounce it properly, don't use English,' in response to my katakana English in 'Don't Light My Fire,'" a song from the group's 2019 debut album, explains Accorinrin. "So I deliberately use English a lot." Lead singer Accorinrin is pissed off and in-your-face. The lyrics seem to demand that you answer their questions and fuck off at the same time. Guitarist Yoyoyoshie cheerfully bangs out barre chords interspersed with all kinds of chaotic fretwork, while having the time of her life on every song. Bassist Hiro casually lays down ridiculously complicated bass lines and chord progressions so effortlessly that it's hard to comprehend how she's doing it while looking so relaxed. And drummer Kahokiss generates super-tight, crazy-fast, machine-gun style beats what would make an ordinary drummer's arms fall off. They're seemingly full of contradictions. The music is both inaccessible and catchy. Both kowai (scary) and kawaii (cute) -- albeit in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, although not necessarily (one is never sure). It somehow seems appropriate that this radical, cutting edge band hails from Kyoto, which is known for its traditional character, and seen by tourists as the land of geiko and maiko. Whatever they are, their live shows are powerful, explosive performances. Dave Grohl summed it all up as follows: "It'll blow your mind, dude. It's the most fucking intense shit you've ever seen."

ciao

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Rhaomi

24 May 2024 at 08:00

窓からは柔らかな光が射し込み、
[Soft light streamed through the window]
窓の外では鳥たちが歌う美しい朝に、
[Outside, birds were singing on a beautiful morning]
私に撫でられながら眠るようにそっと逝きました。
[As I petted her, she passed away gently, as if falling asleep]
長い間かぼちゃんを愛して下さったみなさま、本当にありがとうございました。
[To everyone who has loved Kabo-chan for a long time, thank you very much]
かぼちゃんは世界一幸せな犬だったと思います。そして私は世界一幸せな飼い主でした。
[I believe Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world, and I was the happiest owner]

Kabosu, the beloved Shiba-Inu behind the globally popular Doge meme, has passed away peacefully at home today at the age of 18.

This sweet girl, abandoned by a shuttered puppy mill, had ended up in a kill shelter before being rescued and nursed back to health by kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato in 2008. She was named "Kabosu" after the round fruit that her furry head resembled. Photos of a wary Kabo-chan from Sato's blog formed the basis for the popular Doge meme circa 2013, which spread into a whole series of Shiba-centric lore, the mascot of an ironic cryptocurrency, and even got her a lovely statue (and a manhole cover) in her hometime prefecture of Sakura. Sato gamely documented Kabo-chan's charmed life (and her feline friends) on her blog and YouTube channel; a brush with leukemia and liver disease in 2022 (previously) elicited a wave of support and love from around the world, and she soon made a "miraculous" recovery and lived happily and well for another 18 months. For locals, a farewell gathering is planned for Sunday, May 26th, from 1-4pm at dog-friendly hangout spot of Kaori Flowers in Narita, with a larger event planned for the beautiful Sakura Furusato Plaza when the weather cools later in the year. Sato's obit post closes:

かぼちゃんは今もまだにこにこ笑ってシッポを振って [Kabo-chan is still smiling happily and wagging her tail] 私に寄り添ってくれていると思います。きっとこれからもずっと [I believe she is still staying close to me. Surely, from now on and forever.]

Kabosu, Shiba Inu Dog Who Helped Define the Doge Meme, Dies at 18

NYT: Technology

Isabella Kwai

24 May 2024 at 09:58

The dog, whose face helped spread the popular doge meme and later became the logo of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency, died on Friday.

Ms. Sato decorated her home with photos of Kabosu.

Dog that inspired ‘Doge’ meme and became face of Dogecoin dies

The Guardian

Agence France-Presse in Tokyo

24 May 2024 at 07:17

Atsuko Sato announces death of her shiba inu Kabosu, whose 2010 photo led her to be described as ‘Mona Lisa of the internet’

The Japanese dog whose photo inspired a generation of oddball online jokes and the £18bn Dogecoin cryptocurrency beloved by Elon Musk has died, her owner said.

“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” Atsuko Sato wrote on her blog on Friday, thanking the fans of her shiba inu called Kabosu – the face of the ‘Doge’ meme.

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Hamiltonを日本語で

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mbrubeck

23 May 2024 at 23:26

Please enjoy "My Shot" from Hamilton in Japanese, translated and performed by actor and musical translator Gen Parton-Shin (辛源).

Bonus song: "Helpless" in Japanese, also translated by Parton-Shin. Previously: "Alexander Hamilton" in German

With personality and freedom, we stick out!

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jomato

22 May 2024 at 20:03

"The four young women wore military helmets and dead-serious expressions. Their fingers, sheathed in tailored white gloves, wiggled on loose wrists. Over a beat of hard-driving taiko drums, they scurried and bounced around the soundstage, scream-singing lyrics that, per the closed caption translation, described a domestic dystopia: 'Dad's stuck in the grind, the job's grip is appalling / Mom's escaping reality, addicted to idols.' It was the explosive U.S. television debut of Atarashii Gakko!, and if you caught it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! late last year, you might have asked yourself: Where did these women come from?" Atarashii Gakko! Are Singularly, Unapologetically Themselves

Atarashii Gakkou no Leaders is a Japanese music group known for their matching sailor uniforms, self-choreographed dance routines, and captivating live performances. Enjoy a selection of YouTube video links below and link your own favorites in the comments. Choreography videos:

Music videos:

Hard Lacquer

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chavenet

22 May 2024 at 04:45

What makes urushi so different from any other tree resin or in fact plastic? While it would be overly ambitious to try and offer a full insight into the role of lacquer in the spiritual lives of the Japanese people, this article can point out some elements which may lead to a better understanding of the cultural context in which appreciation for this curious resin developed. Despite the fact that urushi arguably has many drawbacks in both use and production, this ancient tradition has—seemingly against all odds—managed to survive into modern times. Still, the use of lacquer is showing a continued decline in Japan, and its manufacture and use have nearly died out in countries like Korea and Thailand. By offering some understanding about its importance as a bearer of cultural heritage, it is my hope that urushi lacquer will receive more recognition as a unique art form that is deserving of more appreciation and support. from Following the Lacquer God [Garland Magazine]

Mount Fuji: why a small Japanese town is hiding the big tourist hotspot

The Guardian

Guardian Staff

21 May 2024 at 12:12

Holidaymakers were behaving appallingly around a convenience store that offers an Instagrammable view of the mountain – until residents blocked the cameras

Name: Mount Fuji.

Age: Formed 100,000 years ago.

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‘Bloody £9 for two!’ How much does an ice-cream cost around the world?

The Guardian

Guardian writers

20 May 2024 at 10:21

After outrage in the UK about the skyrocketing cost of a scoop, how does the rest of the world compare?

The cost of two ice-cream cones topped with bubble gum has famously risen to £9 in some parts of the UK. With inflation rampant in several countries around the world, is the price of cooling down on a hot day creeping up globally?

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The quiet Japanese island paradise on the frontline of growing Taiwan-China tensions

The Guardian

Justin McCurry on Yonaguni island

17 May 2024 at 16:00

Yonaguni is a tourist hotspot – but its location just 100km from Taiwan means residents must wrestle with the creeping militarisation of their home

In the minds of many Japanese people, Yonaguni is a sleepy paradise of crystal-clear sea and pristine beaches, where miniature horses graze on clifftops and empty roads dissect fields of sugar cane; where tourists dive with hammerhead sharks and marvel at the Ayamihabiru – the world’s largest Atlas moth.

But this tiny island, located far closer to Taipei than Tokyo, now finds itself at the centre of regional tensions triggered by a new round of Chinese aggression towards Taiwan.

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The weird and wonderful world of the PC-98

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Rhaomi

14 May 2024 at 14:10

Pastel cities trapped in a timeless future-past. Empty apartments drenched in nostalgia. Classic convertibles speeding into a low-res sunset. Femme fatales and mutated monsters doing battle. Deep, dark dungeons and glittering star ships floating in space. All captured in a eerie palette of 4096 colours and somehow, you're sure, from some alternate 1980s world you can't quite remember... Drawn painstakingly one pixel at a time, with a palette of 4096 possible colours, pushing the limits of these 80's era machines memory, these early graphic artists and hackers alike have left an indelible mark on the world of digital art and internet culture, only to be forgotten in the passing of time. But what made this boring business computer from Japan so special?