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Most of us long-time Japan hands probably catch a few zeds on any train ride over about ten minutes, but what about that age-old problem of knowing where to get off? Solo iPhone programmer (by night, financial recruiter by day) Warwick Pearmund has a techy solution in the shape of his new GPS-based Wake Me Shake Train Alarm app.

Here’s a preview [PDF] of next week’s Metropolis Tech Know column, due to appear in the year-end double issue (822/3).

Anyone with even a passing interest in modern Japan will have heard of Tokyo’s Akihabara district, most likely through squealing newspaper or blog stories detailing just how weird and depraved the one-time electronics Mecca is…

Everything from tiny Ubuntu laptops to awesome pictures (well, I took ‘em…) of DoCoMo’s HQ in Tokyo – that’s what you’ll find in this month’s selection from Metropolis magazine.

Everything from flexible robot skin to exploding laptop hard drives – that’s what you’ll find in this month’s selection from Metropolis magazine.

It’s official - Japan is in the grip of the swine flu pandemic. Or, at least, its media is, but what about possible ways to tackle the disease?

Everything from 3D cameras to hardworking dung beetles – that’s what you’ll find in this month’s selection from Metropolis magazine.

You’ve seen the pictures of people wearing face masks to prevent catching the H1N1 swine flu. If you’re going to wear a mask, why choose plain blue? People in Japan wear masks out in public all the time, for colds, the flu, and hay fever. Japanese mask-wearing citizens demand the finest quality, menthol cool wet-filtered, nonstick lipstick-ok face masks. From single-use to 7-day to designer…

This weekend sees the sticky old Golden Week public holiday period begin in Japan, with a mad rush to do exactly the same thing as everyone else and sit in traffic jams or visit incredibly crowded ‘attractions.’

What seems to be a transcript of police questioning of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi has been published on a blog. Kusanagi of the singing group SMAP, and star of dozens of TV commercials and the weekly SMAP SMAP TV program, was arrested April 23 at 3 a.m. The singer/actor had been prancing naked and…

Masaki Sumitani, the leather-clad performer known as Hard Gay, who was ubiquitous on TV a few years ago then dropped off the flat screens, has been hosting his own sex-talk TV show for the past year. Broadcast after midnight, pinup model Linying of Joytoy joins HG in candid sex conversations with…

In spite of general ill-informed nay-saying about the hardware’s prospects in Japan, the Tokyo-specific iPhone apps keep rolling in thick, fast and creamy, with the latest being a gem from Enfour and Gmap.

Everything from personal wind turbines to magic underwear that actually burns body fat – that’s what you’ll find in this month’s selection from Metropolis magazine.

In the spirit of the amazing Kowa anti-pee pills, we bring news of another product helping Japan move toward ending the need for people to urinate entirely.

The world and his dog know how space-age Japanese toilets can be (well, not this one), so it’s no great surprise to see the latest model add a little something extra to the mix in the shape of personalised RSS feeds from the throne.

Teachers at a high school in Japan want school girls to pull down their skirts. The group of teacher-guidance counselors commissioned, published, put up, and distributed three posters advising girls to lower the hemlines of their school-uniform skirts. News outlets reported on the ‘Proper dress all at once together campaign’…

Anyone traveling in Tokyo knows how confusing the subway can be even if you can read Japanese, which is why we’re eternally grateful for Presselite’s new Tokyo Metro iPhone or iPod touch app. Best of all, we’ve got ten copies to give away.

When I visited NTT last October for a private demo of its new cellphone RFID loyalty-card system, it was still in its early stages of development, so there wasn’t a great deal to write home about at the time.

Battlestar Galactica fans on a budget might get a kick out of this Japanese Mama Chari (or ‘Mom’s bike’) named for their favorite pseudo swearword.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in Japan has probably heard of Sado (tea ceremony), Shodo (calligraphy) and maybe even Kado (flower arranging), but what about Kodo, or the ancient art of smelling stuff?

Check the bicycle brakes, the lights, don’t use your cellphone, learn the rules of the road. Ads from a bicycle industry association offers tips on riding safely on approved bicycles. High tech brake-accuracy testing is depicted in the TV commercials. But one safety feature that prevents injury…

If actual karaoke in the nasty ole world beyond your bedroom is a bit too scary, then how about doing it in front of a computer with any Tom, Dick or Taro looking in? Best of all, you can even do it in Japanese.

The infamous wild monkey of Tokyo continues to elude captors. The macaque monkey that stormed Shibuya train station in August 2008 is apparently living in an internet cafe. Frustrated authorities have requested assistance from experts in primatology and the government’s spy agency.  An expert…

NTT DoCoMo’s corporate videos have long been a Big Deal for the 800lb gorilla of a phone company, so it’s always worth checking out the latest to see the public face it wants to present to the world.

Banana gadgets, super-soapy shower slippers and ingenious uses for empty drinks bottles are among the zillions of products you didn’t know you needed, but now can’t live without, that are on display at this week’s International Gift Show in Tokyo.

Con artists continually update their techniques for fraudulently getting cash from elderly victims in Japan, but automatic teller machines are catching up quickly.

A lack of experienced hunters in Japan to cull wildlife that is damaging crops and rampaging in rural cities is forcing muncipalities to get creative. Some local governments are encouraging municipal workers to learn how to hunt. One rural town is providing weapons…

Ads for men’s magazines are commonplace on commuter trains in Japan. Sometimes pictures of Japanese politicians peer down from the hanging advertisements. US President Barack Obama may …

An innovative package for natto – the popular fermented soybean food – lets users start eating quicker by eliminating two steps from the usual preparation process. Previously, after removing the package lid, one would have to peel off the top film, stir the natto….

That crazy little monkey that’s been taunting Tokyo police since August 2008 has moved into a new home. It seems the wacky macaque monkey – dubbed Makawaii – spends its nights at an internet café. The impish ape first showed up – alone – at Shibuya train station in Tokyo in August, 2008. The critter dodged…

If you’re in the market for a new job this year and also happen to be in Japan or still thinking about it, then you might want to check out our new, free-to-use jobs board – you’ll find it up there near the top of the page.

Japan’s Crown Princess Masako made a rare appearance on Jan. 2 when she joined other members of Japan’s royal family for their annual public New Year’s welcoming at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Masako has been suffering from stress-related symptoms and mental…

You’ll never forget that cute little Shibuya-train-station-marauding macaque monkey that made world headlines last summer. But do you remember the secret closet lady or the naked guy in the moat? How about the government employee addicted to porn?

We know it’s the season for colds and flu to stop the spread of goodwill to all men, but I was more than a little shocked by the lengths one tech company is going to in order to halt the march of the germs.

The macaque monkey who’s been eluding police capture since August this year could use some holiday cheer. It’s cold in Tokyo now, much different from that hot summer morning when the cute wild ape jumped the wickets and…

Vehicle engine-idling systems are beginning to appear in the auto industry aftermarket equipment sector in Japan as environmental issues move to center-stage.

A Tokyo area bank has begun installing devices that jam cell phone signals in order to prevent elderly citizens from becoming victims of phone fraud. Swindlers have been targeting seniors, telling them to go to the bank and all the while stay…

Households are putting in orders now for the traditional nengajo New Year’s postcards. The 2009 Year of the Ox cards are available in thousands of pre-printed designs, or card illustrations can be downloaded…

A thin mat that creates electricity from footsteps has been installed at Tokyo’s Shibuya train station to harness the kinetic energy they expend as they pass through ticket gates twice a day.

You know that new camera from Takara Tomy that features a little Zink printer that pops 2x3in photos out one end?