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Japanese icon Domo-kun reborn as iPhone case with accompanying app

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Here’s a fun new item from the folks over at NHK. The broadcaster’s popular mascot, Domo-kun, is the model for a soon-to-be-released smartphone case. The case itself is rather large, measuring in at over 25 centimeters from his furry head to his furry toes. He comes with bendy arms, and a handy strap loop on top which you can tie into. There’s also a clever pocket around the rear into which you can slip your transit card (pictured below), assuming you plan to ride the train with Domo-kun. Your iPhone screen will display in landscape mode through Domo-kun’s famous toothy grin. And there will be an accompanying app for the case that provides a number of functions, including an alarm clock, a jukebox, touch-to-talk, and a Twitter timeline. This unusual case, created by NHK Enterprise, is going to be released in at the end of April for the price of 4,800 yen (or about $50).

domokun-iphone-case-1Here’s a fun new item from the folks over at NHK. The broadcaster’s popular mascot, Domo-kun, is the model for a soon-to-be-released smartphone case.

The case itself is rather large, measuring in at over 25 centimeters from his furry head to his furry toes. He comes with bendy arms, and a handy strap loop on top which you can tie into. There’s also a clever pocket around the rear into which you can slip your transit card (pictured below), assuming you plan to ride the train with Domo-kun.

Your iPhone screen will display in landscape mode through Domo-kun’s famous toothy grin. And there will be an accompanying app for the case that provides a number of functions, including an alarm clock, a jukebox, touch-to-talk, and a Twitter timeline.

This unusual case, created by NHK Enterprise, is going to be released in at the end of April for the price of 4,800 yen (or about $50).

domokun-iphone-case-4

domokun-iphone-case-2

domokun-iphone-case-3

Second anniversary of 2011 Japan earthquake remembered online

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Today marks the two-year anniversary of the tragic March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and on the internet a number of organizations in Japan are marking the occasion with some form of remembrance. Over on Yahoo Japan, there’s a extensive interactive display that presents general information about the disaster, some stunning photos of the aftermath, plus profiles and interviews of folks involved in the recovery effort. Amazon Japan is also pitching in by selling local foods from the affected areas as well as books [1] about the natural disaster. There’s also a Japan earthquake wishlist where you can buy goods needed by local organization, such as books for libraries, for example. Amazon was especially supportive of the recovery effort back in 2011, bringing a number of jobs to Sendai with a call center there. Softbank also has a page set up to highlight various reconstruction efforts, including its own Tomodachi program which we wrote about last month. The company’s CEO Masayoshi Son contributed the sum of 10 billion yen (over $100 million) to help the relief effort in the month after the earthquake back in 2011. As we me mentioned last week, some other organizations are making an effort or digitally…

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the tragic March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and on the internet a number of organizations in Japan are marking the occasion with some form of remembrance.

Over on Yahoo Japan, there’s a extensive interactive display that presents general information about the disaster, some stunning photos of the aftermath, plus profiles and interviews of folks involved in the recovery effort.

Amazon Japan is also pitching in by selling local foods from the affected areas as well as books [1] about the natural disaster. There’s also a Japan earthquake wishlist where you can buy goods needed by local organization, such as books for libraries, for example. Amazon was especially supportive of the recovery effort back in 2011, bringing a number of jobs to Sendai with a call center there.

Yahoo Japan's earthquake commemoration
Yahoo Japan’s earthquake commemoration
Amazon Wishlist
Amazon Wishlist

Softbank also has a page set up to highlight various reconstruction efforts, including its own Tomodachi program which we wrote about last month. The company’s CEO Masayoshi Son contributed the sum of 10 billion yen (over $100 million) to help the relief effort in the month after the earthquake back in 2011.

As we me mentioned last week, some other organizations are making an effort or digitally archive memories of the disaster, including the newly opened NDL archive which collects important photos, video, and other information. Google’s archival work – particularly its ‘Memories for the Future’ website – perhaps stands out above all other efforts, as its work has been pretty continuous in the two years since the quake.

Of course, while remembrance is important, Japanese broadcaster NHK reminds us that many people in affected areas are still struggling with recovery. As you can see in its infographic below, their survey indicates that there is still a lot of work to do, not only in terms of repairing physical damage in affected areas, but also in terms of emotional recovery.

Written with contributions from Masaru Ikeda

NHK


  1. For English speaking readers, you might want to check out the e-book Reconstructing 3/11, which is available as a free download today.  ↩