Kazuko Hosoki is the most popular clairvoyant not only in Japan but in the whole world. She has published more than 100 books and her TV shows are followed by a huge audience.
Bookstore section specially dedicated to Kazuko Hosoki books.
Guests that visit the TV shows of Kazuko Hosoki are “judged” live. Generally she is quite kind with the boys and she is very strict with the girls. She is usually criticized for being too traditional (and even sexist) but she is still worshipped by millions of Japanese women. In the following video you can see the visit of Bon Jovi to Kazuko Hosoki show:
A new pachinko machine based on The Matrix has just been released in Japan. I am not really interested in pachinko machines because they are boring (it’s only about metal balls falling down, sometimes random things happen and if you are lucky you might end up getting some money) but the TV advertisement to promote the new machine is pretty awesome.
Origami (折り紙) literally means “to fold paper” (折り: fold, 紙: paper) in Japanese language. It is a form of art in Japan and in the world; actually it’s considered a science by many, a branch of mathematics. Besides, lately some people are searching different applications for it within the engineering world and everyday product design. For example, the structure of bottles that may be compressed easily is based on origami. Another example are the small indentations in some light aluminium cans that help make the structure stronger. By the way, we all implement origami techniques when folding a map or when we make a paper plane or boat.
For something to be considered origami, it can only be made out of a single piece of paper and it cannot be cut in any way, only folded. Usually, a squared piece of paper of a kind called washi is used.
All origami pieces can be achieved following only four basic rules. Following these four rules you can make any imaginable shape. In this video, Robert Lang explains how these four rules work and how you can develop mathematical models and computer software to create any shape from those four rules of origami:
Other practical example of what you can achieve with origami is the method developed by Japanese astrophisicist Miura for folding antennaes and solar panels on artificial satellites. First, he developed this generic pattern for folding which can also be used to fold a map:
Miura’s folding system
And from something so simple, thanks to such a “simple” geometrical pattern, JAXA is being able to build satellites taking advantage from the fact that they can carry “folded” equipment without complications thanks to the Miura method.
Satellite under construction.
Finished satellite. You can read more about the Miura method in this pdf.
