Well, if there's no other reason to live to the ripe young age of 100, in Japan you get a silver cup and a congrats card from the prime minister if you do. I hope he's bought those suckers in bulk because almost
20,000 Japanese are set to turn 100 this year alone. And they'll have many, many friends in their 5-k age class — there are already 36,276 centenarians in Japan, up a whopping 4,000 since last year.
The seventh Diet and Beauty Fair wrapped up in Tokyo yesterday, and its offerings go far beyond lip gloss and face masks. The trade show featured unusual, up-and-coming, and just plain bizarre beauty treatments. Have a look at some of the strangest.
Japan has plans to label consumer goods like beer and detergents with their carbon footprints. Officials think the standardized label
will raise corporate and consumer awareness of global warming. Britain and France already
place similar labels on products.
Celebrity endorsements are big overseas — just ask Angelina, Anne, Jennifer, or any of the other famous people who've appeared in beauty ads in Japan and Korea. For a day or two of work, these stars can earn more than $2 million by endorsing lipstick, mascara, or shampoo. Read on to see who's raking in the bucks (and who's hoping you won't have to see her practice her swordsmanship).
Mitsui & Co., one of Japan's largest companies, is revising the common conception of a work-life balance by reintroducing its old tradition of supplying dorms for unmarried employees. In Tokyo, the company's six dorms for men and two for women cost about $185 a month and provide private bedrooms but a shared cafeteria and bathhouse.
According to The Wall Street Journal, employee dorms were originally introduced in the 1950s and 60s to help establish a company culture of family.
Hiroshima Mayor Asks US to Back Nuclear Ban on 63rd Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Hiroshima's mayor on Wednesday urged the next US president to support a proposed ban on nuclear weapons, as Japan marked the 63rd anniversary of the atomic blast that obliterated this city and killed 140,000 people. In a ceremony, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba also announced the launch of a two-year study to gauge the psychological toll of the Aug. 6, 1945, attack in the closing days of World War II.
Airyusha, the Japanese maker of lifestyle and home furnishing products has gone geeky by creating these
Robotan Toilet Paper Holders for where else? The bathroom! I could certainly see myself putting one of these heavy duty ceramic holders in my bathroom, although I'd probably stick with a plain color like white.
The G-8 Summit gets underway in Hakkaido, Japan today; a three-day meeting of the leaders of the eight countries invited, plus a representative of the European Union.
Grown from the concept of a forum of the major industrialized democracies after the 1973 oil crisis, more have been invited until 1997 when the last member, Russia, was invited at the initiative of then US President Bill Clinton.
The guest list is at the
edge of controversy this year, as major climate issues are at hand, and two of the worst polluters (China and India) aren't invited.
