1.29.2014

3D printer reproduced Japanese ancient magic mirror


Today, Takashi Murakami, the Director of Kyoto National Museum announced that when they restored an ancient bronze mirror with 3D printer, it was "magic mirror(魔鏡)".

This mirror is "Sankakubuchishinjuukyou(三角縁神獣鏡: triangular rimmed ancient mirror decorated with gods of animals)". This has the opinion with the mirror of Japanese ancient shaman queen Himiko. The mirror was important existence in ancient Japan and used by ceremony of the worship. However, the concrete role is still unknown.

The ancient mirror polished bronze and was made. The magic mirror is made by making the surface nonuniform by polish. When bright sunlight or other bright light reflects onto the mirror, the mirror seems to become transparent. If that light is reflected from the mirror towards a wall, the pattern on the back of the mirror is then projected onto the wall. Originally they were made in ancient China, but they spread in Japan. Because the Japanese Shinto is sun faith, there is the opinion to be related to it.


Various studies have been performed until now about Sankakubuchishinjuukyou, but they are very precious, and investigators cannot touch them casually. Therefore they made a copy with 3D printer. powder on Copper, tin and lead of the ratio same as Sankakubuchishinjuukyou were used as material. investigators found by that Sankakubuchishinjuukyou was magic mirror making a copy. This is the first time that ancient magic mirror was discovered in Japan. Movie is here.

When Bitcoin came to Japan, it became like this

Bitcoin is becoming the topic in Japan. There are a lot of blog and Web media which comments on Bitcoin, and even TV news reports it. They are few, but Tokyo has the bars which can pay in Bitcoin. Unfortunately the Japanese books about Bitcoin have not been yet published, but it will be a matter of time.
By the way, Japan's Finemotion Co,Ltd. performs the interesting Bitcoin support project. It is the Japanese proud skill "Personification".



She is Bitcoin-chan. When Bitcoin came to Japan, it became like this! :) They support Bitcoin by making free Manga, free illustrations, widget and goods. widget displays the realtime price of Bitcoin on your blog.

(C)Bitcoin-chan Project Bitcoin-chan Widget

You can watch a lot of her images in a project site.

1.27.2014

Hello Dragons! Puzzle and Kitty! Collaboration of GungHo and Sanrio

GungHo started a collaboration event with Sanrio's smartphone game Hello Kitty World in Puzzle and Dragons from today. This is very CUTE and FUNNY!





It is similar to other collaboration events of Puzzle and Dragons. Hello Kitty World dungeon open, and characters of Sanrio appear in them as enemies. However, they are not normal appearances. All of them model it on characters of Puzzle and Dragons and are designed. This is very rare!


Furthermore, collaboration Gacha becomes the Sanrio-style, too.

:D :D :D

Various Sanrio characters appear as well as Hello Kitty from this. When we evolve them, they change in Puzzle and Dragons-style.


On the other hand, Hello Kitty world holds a collaboration event with Puzzle and Dragons, too. They offer amusement park facilities of Puzzle and Dragons to players.


This is a good measure to get girls players of Puzzle and Dragons.

"Lottery for everyone" of LINE

Now, LINE and Nameko are good samples measuring the diffusiveness of the character of the smartphone apps in the country of Japan. Yokote-shi, Akita where I live in is the deserted terrible country, but they are completely popular.

I pulled a "Lottery for everyone(みんなのくじ)" the other day in FamilyMart of the convenience store.


Lottery for everyone is a form of the new goods sale that prize goods company Furyu provides for convenience stores. Visitors of the convenience store pull a lottery for 1 time 500-600 yen(about 5-6USD). Then visitors get some goods. It is up to luck whether we get the goods which are more expensive than the price of the lottery.

The lottery which I pulled was kinds of LINE character.


It is rare that there is this in my hometown. Because a lottery does not sell if many visitors do not come to the convenience store. This is proof of LINE being popular in the depopulated area.




I got Cony's box!  is 600 yen cheap? or expensive?

By the way, The big stuffed toys and cushions were still left. If you want good prizes, it's a chance now! The details of prizes are here.

1.15.2014

Smartphone home screen customization community app "CocoPPa" get avatar function


Today, G-Crest and UNITED started pre-registration acceptance of new avatar service "CocoPPa Play" in Smartphone home screen customization community app "CocoPPa".

CocoPPa is popular apps of UNITED breaking through 18 million downloading. Users can make one's favorite image as the "one-touch icon" and place the icon on the home screen. Furthermore, users can customize home screens using image submitted by various creators and users. This is Japanese service, but 36% of users are American and popular in Asia, Europe, South America.





G-Crest is a subsidiary of CyberAgent, and develop online games, virtual worlds, avatar services and mobile games. In particular, the avatar of their casual virtual world @Games is known for a cute design. They released the Android version of this in last November, and it broke through 300,000 downloading.


According to the images of their press release, an avatar design of @Games is used for CocoPPa Play. Users make one's avatar in CocoPPa Play and can dress up in it with various fashion items. This may attract many CocoPPa users.

It was said that the Japanese virtual world business was over several years ago. However, CyberAgent's Ameba Pigg overcame it. LINE PLAY came up afterwards and succeeded in a global market. Now, virtual worlds and avatars must support smartphones and tablets.

The pre-registration to CocoPPa Play is possible all over the world as well as Japan.