All posts by Ted Tanaka

  • Parenting aid

    Need a second set of eyes on the baby while you’re out or working?  Izon 2.0 Stem Wi-fi Video Monitor helps you do just that.  With IZON 2, you can watch any room from anywhere and get...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • 6-day family style cruise kicks off July 2016 in Japan

    Cruise enthusiasts have something exciting to look forward to in 2016 – the launch of Costa Asia’s 6-day Italian-inspired family cruise. The international European cruise line launched its Asia Pacific cruise packages in 2006. After 10 years,...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • A life-size, moving R2-D2 fridge at your service

    R2-D2, everyone’s favorite droid from the *Star Wars* series, has become a remote controlled refrigerator that keeps drinks chilled. R2-D2 (Acqua) moves just like in the movies by using the companion remote control. With an elaborate construction...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • Should you fire your Roomba for the new Dyson 360 Eye?

    After years of research and refinements, the Dyson 360 Eye unveiled in Tokyo a month ago is now available in Japan. The new robotic vacuum cleaner with a built-in 45-degree panoramic lens on top of the device...

    • Posted December 18, 2015
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  • How to dispose of bulk trash in Japan

    The Year-end decluttering season or ‘osoji’ (literally means big cleaning) is just around the corner. Purge unneeded items in the house and office in order to free up space and welcome the new year on a clean...

    • Posted December 10, 2015
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  • Play till you drop at Molly Fantasy

    Last week, my family and I drove up to Makuhari, Chiba to do our bulk shopping. On the way to the mall, we spotted a kids’ play park called Molly Fantasy. Molly’s Fantasy is an indoor theme...

    • Posted November 25, 2015
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  • The new house-phone-looking mobile phone is also a router

    Xmobile calls its new house phone-looking mobile phone Sugoi Denwa (amazing phone) developed by Abit Corporation, a next generation communication tool developer.  Sugoi Denwa is not only a mobile phone but a router as well. It needs...

    • Posted November 17, 2015
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  • “Cross-cultural marriage, a double-edged sword”

    Polish mum, poet, and book author Yoanna Shigenobu talks about her book, parenting style and her cross-cultural family life. Eight years ago, Yoanna was a Tourism student in Poland. Today, she lives in Japan. It all started...

    • Posted November 16, 2015
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  • New vulnerability Discovered in Chrome for Android

    If you or your kids are using the latest Chrome Quihoo 360 version on Android, know that hackers have found a new way to exploit it according to a panel of tech bigwigs who met in Tokyo...

    • Posted November 13, 2015
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  • Sunshine Kids Academy makes tuition affordable to support most families who want an international preschool program for their children

    When it comes to learning progress, it all comes down to how much early literacy skills help or hinder learning. James Heckman, Economist and Nobel Prize winner said, “Early learning begets later learning. And early success breeds...

    • Posted November 7, 2015
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  • A restaurant with no knives and no forks

    When Kojima Yoshio, president of Meal Works, had dinner at Dancing Crab restaurant in Singapore, he was smitten by the charm of eating crabs with bare hands, he decided to open a franchise in Tokyo. Up until...

    • Posted November 4, 2015
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  • How would you like to own a piece of Hotel Okura?

    Furnitures and fixtures that have been used in the rooms and restaurants of the once iconic Hotel Okura will be put on auction from November 4. The full proceeds will go to benefit “El Sistema Japan,” a...

    • Posted November 2, 2015
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  • Japan’s age-old spiral mosquito coils get a makeover

    Japan has just released a do-it-yourself coil kit that allows you to make your own incense coil in the shape of Nasca lines found in Peru. Nasca lines are ancient geoglyphs or drawings on the ground formed...

    • Posted October 28, 2015
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  • Plant-based ice cream: No sugar, no milk, no soy

    Kippy’s Ice Cream from Venice, California launched its first two organic ice cream shops in Tokyo and Kyoto on October 16, 2015. No, Kippy’s does not plan to sugarcoat its ice cream and by that, I mean...

    • Posted October 20, 2015
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  • This app drains iPhone iOS 9’s battery fast

    It is not your new iPhone’s fault but Facebook app’s. When you use Facebook app on your iPhone iOs9, it’s automatically set to track your location through the phone’s GPS module. According to The Mac Observer, Facebook...

    • Posted October 15, 2015
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  • Apple’s newly released iOS9 has a feature that could jack up your phone bill

    Apple has offered iPhone users free update to iOS9 after the launch of iPhone 6S. By default, the new Wi-Fi Assist feature on iOS 9 will automatically switch to LTE when you are in areas with weak...

    • Posted October 10, 2015
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  • Consumer Protection in Japan

    Q Recently we bought a ¥70,000 stroller online. When it arrived, we found out the features were somewhat different from the details on the vendor’s website so we decided to return the stroller and demand a refund....

    • Posted October 10, 2015
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  • Bare Burger – NYC’s best organic burger now in Tokyo

    Voted one of the best natural organic burger in New York City, Bare Burger is now in Tokyo. From hamburger buns to burger patties, everything about Bare Burger is prepared in an unorthodox manner. For starters, the...

    • Posted October 9, 2015
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  • Good vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo

    Buona Tubu (specializes in gluten-free grain) Tel 03-6457-5045 http://www.b-tubutubu.com/ nearest station: Edogawabashi by Yurakucho line Chaya Macrobiotics Hibiya (organic, macrobiotic foods, allergy-free cakes) 1-2-2 Yurakucho, Hibiya Chanter Building B2 Tel 03-3500-5514 http://www.chayam.co.jp/ nearest station: Hibiya 2nd floor...

    • Posted October 9, 2015
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  • A fleet of Taxis without drivers will go for a road test soon

    The thought of taking a taxi driven by robots makes me cringe but it appears that’s what we will be seeing very soon as robot-obsessed Japan tests its driverless cars out on the streets. Last month, a...

    • Posted October 5, 2015
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  • The ‘Fire’ Kids Play With

    With tablets becoming increasingly relevant in early education and home settings, the new Amazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition: HD 8 and HD 10 have just raised the bar. Not only have the features greatly improved since the...

    • Posted September 20, 2015
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  • High school parents are signing their kids up for tech classes

    Love it or hate it, the name of the new game is Tech. Looking forward well into the future, Japanese parents are now adding a new after-school activity to their teen’s schedule – coding and programming classes,...

    • Posted September 11, 2015
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  • How does a bullet train discount work?

    Fares As a rule of thumb, children from 0 to 6 years old are free but this discount is limited to 2 children per one accompanying adult. Elementary school age kids from 6 years old to 12...

    • Posted September 11, 2015
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  • Paying too much for English TV content? Check out better TV viewing options

    With the rising popularity of video streaming services all over the world, the once expensive one-size-fits-all cable/satellite package is slowly losing subscribers to Video On Demand (VOD). Hulu Japan, launched in 2013 by Nippon Television, currently offers...

    • Posted September 10, 2015
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  • This dad skins a watermelon like a pro

    • Posted September 2, 2015
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  • Humans take a back seat, robots take over at Hen Na Hotel

      At the entryway, hotel guests are greeted by a bowing robot and over at the reception desk are a Japanese-speaking female humanoid with lashes that blink and a savage-looking dinosaur that speaks Japanese and English. The...

    • Posted August 7, 2015
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  • The seven-seat family hatchback

    When TESLA, an American company that builds and sells electric-powered cars, came out with its Tesla Roadster, a BEV (battery electric vehicle) sports car in 2008, it created a buzz in the motor vehicle industry worldwide. A...

    • Posted August 6, 2015
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  • Eat more, pay less at this restaurant

    Want to get your lean meat fix for less yen and less fat?  Try the all-you-can-eat French style roast chicken at Chicken Man. For just ¥890 per person, you can have an all-you-can-eat chicken and if you...

    • Posted July 11, 2015
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  • Why own a luggage when you can rent one?

    A luggage is arguably one of the most important items when traveling. Not only does a quality luggage comes at a price, it also takes up a lot of space in our already cramped Tokyo apartment. IL...

    • Posted July 10, 2015
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  • A slice of Spain in Japan

    Dreaming of a European summer vacation? Did you know that you can have a mini version right here in Japan? The Shima Spain Village is a theme park reminiscent of a typical resort in Southern Spain. Located...

    • Posted July 10, 2015
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