The Japanese toilet Institute – Yes, it is really exist – has started a new campaign for Japanese on how to use the toilets. The campaign is called “Let’s love the toilet”.

Well, what’s there not to love? as we all know that Japanese people are crazy about their toilet’s. They have robots to clean it for them, and they spent so much time there, that they offering some golf games while you are thinking on your boss.

The campaign aim is to educate the people on how to leave the toilet for the next person (how can I know if it’s a boy or a girl?? oh, the dilemma!) , and how to save on toilet paper. It appears that according to a research done by this prestigious institute, men use 132cm of toilet paper, while women use only 99cm. The institute is waiting to see if the campaign will end in a huge toilet paper savings. We just can’t wait.

[Asahi] via [DannyChoo], Toilet image [Flickr]

P.S.

If you want to kids to also learn about toilets in the Japanese way, just let them watch this:

The system in the video is called the Da Vinci system and it’s made by Intuitive Surgical from Sunnyvale in California. The system allows the surgeon to perform tasks in HD video while moving the robotic hands. COOL!

A new world record was set in Japan. Toshie Kawakami (57) was announced as the person with the longest eyebrow in the world at a length of 17.2cm (6.7 inch). Kawakami says she hide the eyebrow behind her ear.

A barber once accidentally chopped her eyebrow hair down to 3cm, but it quickly grew back. Apparently Kawakami is going to set a new record soon. The eyebrow grows at a rate of a centimeter a month, so Kawakami is going for the 20cm record in about three months. We wish her and all weird Japanese people good luck!

[Asahi] Via [tofugu]

Many times its work related when they are killing themselves at work. Sometimes it is when their pet is lost, and sometimes it’s just because they have to talk to the opposite sex.

Here comes to the rescue the stress relief vase or Sakebi no Tsufu. The principle is simple: you shout into the vase and that cause you to become calm and relaxed.

We have to admit hat Japan have a long tradition of spiritual relaxation that are sometimes beyond western eyes – but we fail to see how a weird Japanese vase can make you relaxed.

For $48 it surely makes the manufacturer pretty relaxed about its revenue. If you are really in stress, just shout on anything. Trust us; it will have the same effect.

More: [Amazon Japan] via [CrunchGear]

What’s strange in this story is that the man living in the house, in the southern city of Fukuoka, only got suspicious when he noticed food disappears from his kitchen. He installed security cameras that transmitted images from the house straight to his mobile phone, and noticed a surprising movement after a couple of days.

Speedy policemen that arrived at the house, hoping to catch a burglar, were surprised to find the front door locked and the windows shuttered. Only after a thorough search around, the cops found the woman lying on a small mattress in the closet. She explained the cops that she is homeless and got into the house when it noticed it was unlocked.

The woman admitted to even take showers in the house. It’s weird to see someone that hasn’t noticed such a permanent guest for such a long time. Maybe he was working deadly overtime?

Source: [Fox News]

This office workers, or “Salary men”, as they known in Japan, are suffering from work-related stress and depression. Nevertheless, this high rate may not come as a surprise, as Japan is one the leading nations in the world in suicide rates.

What’s interesting to find out is that the due to the laws in Japan, the family of a person that killed himself because of work may get compensation from the government. In 2007 the government paid to the families of 81 people, and that’s beside another 392, that died from work related sickness.

The conclusion in the end is not so surprising: work less and get rest. It can get you killed in so many ways.

Source: [Yahoo News]

(photo:Tokyo Shinagawa train station during morning rush hour)

After the Mom Cafes, It’s not so surprising to find out what Japanese people do in cafes. In Tenteki10 you will receive a specially formulated IV drip for $76 (8,000 yen). If you want to save a few dollars on your own body, the basic shot costs only $19 (2000 Yen). The menu includes interesting offerings. For example the Blue Pack will fight fatigue and includes anti-oxidants for your skin. The Green Pack will fight toxic substances in your body. The Sports Pack will ensure strong and flexible muscles before training.

The IV drip is given by nurses after answering a short questionnaire, and the whole process takes no more than 10 minutes. A doctor at the place explains that IV drips are necessary for people suffering from exhaustion, insomnia and backaches. The Doctor adds that the IV Drip contains also some preventive medicine. This new clinic cafe reports that 30 people a day are already visiting the place to get their daily dose. Some come with family or spouse.

We truly sympathize with Japanese office workers that suffer from exhaustion at work. Some of them need to visit more than 10,000 adult websites a day.

More: [Japan Today] and Tenteki10 (Japanese)

The 57 years old man has been accused of accessing adult sex websites for 780,000 (that’s no mistakes) times starting June last year to February 2008. The employee works for the local council of Kinokawa in southern Japan.

The nasty habit reached its peak last July when he viewed 177,000 websites pages in one month. That’s about 10,000(!) pages per day. The man could continue doing his great work, unless its computer caught a virus.

The technical team that repaired the computer noticed the “little” sex addiction that this poor man had. What’s seems weird is how no one noticed the obsessed employee? Even if the numbers are in accurate, it’s still account for a lot of adult websites surfing during office hours. “Each desk is set apart from each other,” city official Tomiko Waki told AP news.

Amazingly he wasn’t fired, but was only given a suspension for three months and a $200 salary cut. Well, it is no surprise in a country well you can find sex even at McDonalds.

Source: [USA Today]

(Image courtesy of Xenia)

Pills can help some of the allergies, but not always. In other cases you just to avoid the cause, or the allergen, but it seems that no one has thought on a very simple solution. Well, no one except Japanese scientists.

Meet the Nose Mask Pit, an artificial nose that helps you prevent allergies. Created by Bio International Japan, the artificial nose filters allergens and pollutants while you breath without anyone to notice. At a price of only $14, the Nose Mask Pit can give you some calm between allergy attacks and do it in a very sensible price.

A couple of weeks ago an American inventor showed an artificial nose hair in an inventions exhibition in Geneva. Maybe it’s time the two inventions will be sold together. Maybe they can sell an artificial runny nose with a discount..

Anyway, No word yet on when and if it will be sold outside of Japan.

Source (Japanese): [Watch Impress] and the product page (Japanese): [Nose Mask Pit]

The Trade Ministry of Japan has instructed the maker of Crocs to redesign the shoes. That’s after 65 complaints of about Crocs shoes getting stuck in escalators. To much concern in many of the accidents children were involved.

It’s seems that although more than 3.9 million pairs of Crocs were sold in Japan last year (according to the trade ministry), The Japanese government shouldn’t be worried too much. The latest financial results of Crocs shows that the world loses interest in the boring shoes. The company missed it’s sales target and (unfortunately) will be forced to fire almost 700 employees and close one factory. Hopefully this will lead to the disappearing of this ugly footwear from planet Earth.

This isn’t the first time that the Japanese government warns against the shoes. In September 2007 the Japanese government reported about 40 incidents on escalators with people wearing Crocs.

This shoes are hideous, expensive and can get you injured – so why do people still buys them?

More: [AP]

What can happen to a kid wearing Crocs: [FoxNews]

(Photo Courtesy of jeltovski)