Begin Japanology

The episode was rated #1 Best episode of Begin Japanology from 1 votes.

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Tokyo Skytree, completed this year, rises 634 meters. The world's tallest broadcasting tower, it's packed with the finest in Japanese engineering. Its steel framework was assembled with millimeter precision from sections lifted to dizzying heights. Special construction methods were needed to cope with the wind. And Japan is an earthquake-prone country, so Skytree has the latest seismic defenses, including one inspired by pagodas. The construction company that built Skytree commissioned an architectural photographer to record the building process. He was the only photographer permitted on the construction site, and the 40,000 photographs he took are an epic chronicle of this once-in-a-lifetime building project. Tokyo Skytree sits in an old-fashioned part of Tokyo with a tradition of small manufacturing enterprises. But now, an entirely new venture is emerging. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is Tokyo Skytree. This is part of our special Tokyo trilogy. We explore Skytree's cutting-edge technology and see what effect this new landmark has had on people's lives.

The episode was rated #3 Best episode of Begin Japanology from 2 votes.

Japan is a nation of vending machines - 5.2 million of them! You find them everywhere, selling all sorts of products. And many vending machines do much more than simply sell things. There are ultra-energy-efficient vending machines, vending machines with lifesaving equipment, vending machines that give you the option to donate your change to charity, and vending machines that can evaluate a customer's age and gender in order to recommend specific drinks. Japan pioneered vending machines that could dispense hot drinks in cans. The inspiration behind their development might surprise you. Retro, low-tech vending machines still exist, and they have ardent fans. One man has made 150 short documentaries about these old machines that receive hundreds of thousands of views online. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is vending machines. We'll examine the unique history of how they developed in Japan, as well as their latest cutting-edge features.

The episode was rated #4 Best episode of Begin Japanology from 2 votes.

Of the world's many household appliances, one stands out as a Japanese original: the electric rice cooker. Before electric appliances came along, rice was cooked in wood-fired clay stoves, but in the late 1950s and early '60s, rice cookers became explosively popular in Japan. These days, virtually every Japanese household has one, and Japan also exports about 400,000 rice cookers each year. The Japanese just love freshly steamed rice. That craving drove the evolution of the rice cooker into a high-tech appliance with a host of functions. Rice cookers can do more than just cook rice. Homemakers have begun using them to put together amazing dishes. The latest rice cookers are even being used to bake cakes. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is rice cookers. We'll investigate the challenges that were overcome in developing them, and the creativity that the Japanese have lavished on making and using them.

The episode was rated #5 Best episode of Begin Japanology from 1 votes.

Japanese stationery goods are popular all over the world. Most stationery goods used today are originally Western in origin, but Japanese companies have continued to churn out new and improved versions. The ballpoint pen, for example, first came to Japan along with post-WWII US occupation forces, but in the decades that followed the Japanese pioneered water-based ink, erasable ink, gel ballpoints, and ballpoints that can write even when facing upwards. One stationery fad sweeping Japan right now is "girls' stationery": cute, stylish products, like decorative masking tape, that appeal to female consumers. Some Japanese people use pens in a way that has nothing to do with writing: they spin them! A man known as the "father of pen spinning" gave a previously informal pastime a formal public identity. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is stationery. We'll explore the technology, design appeal, and sense of fun in Japanese stationery goods.

The episode was rated #6 Best episode of Begin Japanology from 1 votes.

It is said that Japan has more types of bread than any other country. Buns in Japan are filled with custard cream, sweet bean paste, or even curry. Bread made its first appearance in Japan in the 16th century. It probably came along with a shipment of firearms, from a Portuguese ship that drifted ashore in southern Japan. In fact, the Japanese word for bread is "pan," which comes from the Portuguese. A new bread product in the late-19th century incorporated a traditional Japanese sweet into Western bread. It led to a surge in bread's popularity with the masses. Since then, Japanese bakers have continued to create recipes that suit Japanese tastes, making bread an integral part of the Japanese diet. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is bread. We'll see how bread worked its way into a country that has a culture founded on rice, and explore the latest trends in Japanese baking.

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About the origins and evolution of the Japanese "boxed lunchset"

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