Make: Online: Made in Japan Archives

Archive: Made in Japan

October 20, 2009

Pop-up Lego Zen temple is itself wonderfully Zen

It's like a pop-up book, kind of, except way more complicated and expensive and made of Lego elements by YouTube user talapz. Words fail me, too. [via The Brothers Brick]

September 29, 2009

Crawling wooden automaton

A newly posted work from Japanese kinetic sculptor Osamu Kanda, whose elegant praying mantis automaton I blogged two weeks ago. This one is called Crawl. [via The Automata / Automaton Blog]

September 15, 2009

To produce a naturally blue rose has been a dream of horticulturalists for almost as long as people have been breeding flowers. It turns out to be essentially impossible to do by traditional plant husbandry, and attempts have proved futile for so long that the blue rose itself has become a symbol of the impossible or the seemingly impossible, and only the rarest achievements call for their presentation as gifts. And until recently, even those rare occasions had to be served by artificially blue roses made by growing white roses in tinted water. Now, however, the Japanese company Suntory, in partnership with Australia's Florigene, have created a transgenic rose which incorporates a petunia gene to achieve a pale lilac color which is really only barely blue. It took them 13 years of work to do it, however, so I guess they've decided pale lilac is close enough.

September 14, 2009

Lovely praying mantis automaton

Japanese toymaker Osamu Kanda made this elegant machine. His YouTube channel has oodles of wooden mechanical goodies.

September 9, 2009

Traditional Japanese wood puzzles

Kumiki puzzles, as they're known, have been manufactured in the Ashigarashimo district of central Japan since the late 19th century, but the traditional fastenerless joinery techniques from which their intricate designs are derived are truly ancient. Kumiki puzzles are commonly representative, prototypically taking the form of traditional Japanese buildings, but more often, today, of animals or vehicles. Abstract kumiki are only slightly less common, the so-called "Great Pagoda," a commonly known type of octahedral burr puzzle, being a prime example.

The top photo is taken from this Japanese site. A wide selection of kumiki are available in the US through Cleverwood.

January 17, 2009

Made in Japan - 1/16/09

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This week:
"One-Chip" Arduino, Making Dot Paintings w/ Bubble Wrap, More Decochari, Recotana's
AVR-based OSC Server, Gundam Bento, Life Preservers Replaced With Recycled DIY Flotation Devices, Making Glasses From the Bottoms of Bottles.

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January 9, 2009

Made in Japan - 1/9/09

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This week:
Ardunio-based Anime Sound Glove, World's Smallest Flapping Wing Flyer?, Rubber Band Gatling Gun, IAMAS Gangu Project, A Picture That Changes Depending on the Source of Light, VR Panorama Shots of Make Tokyo Meeting 02, Arduino PS2 Command Sequencer, Arduino Wrist Watch, Carving a QR Code Into Stone, Art Made w/ 5-Yen Coins, After Hours Magazine's Cross-Stitched Cover

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December 29, 2008

Manhole covers of Japan...

Make Pt1518
New mashup Web site reveals the hole story behind Japan's manhole covers / Ittemia（イッテミア）前線

While not the oddest fetish in Japan by a long way, there are some who travel the length of Japan enticed by the prospect of a compellingly designed manhole. But while even the most ardent manhole cover buffs come up against the problem of too many manholes, not enough time, they now have a powerful ally: a new community Web site called Ittemia Zensen, started in August this year and featuring pictures of manhole covers from various regions of Japan and details on their locations.
Contributors can add photos of manhole covers directly from their mobile phones, along with global positioning system (GPS) data to mark its location on the map. While the site features pictures primarily of manhole covers from the Kanto region, those from other regions are also available, and many manhole covers feature locals sights and scenes, such as lanterns from the Kanto Festival in Akita; "gassho-zukuri" (thatched gable roof) farmhouses of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture, and scenes from the port city of Kobe.

December 14, 2008

Build: The Gakken Karakuri Tea Serving Robot

The Gakken Tea Serving Robot is designed to be a replication of the karakuri zui, an illustrated manual written in the Edo period (1603-1868). This mechanical doll has a tray that holds a cup of tea, and it is designed to approach the guest with the tea, bow his head, and then carry the empty teacup away. Using only springs as power, the term "robot" might at first seem a little strange, as there is no electricity used to make this doll do what it does, nevertheless, this doll has been called one of the original forms of the modern robot, in that it does follow (rudimentary) programmed instructions relating to variables such as if, then, and when. Check it out:

You don't have to be thirsty for a small cup of tea to see the appeal in this kit. Making the karakuri gives you a chance to experience what it was like for innovators and dreamers before the flood of modern technology, to see the trouble they went to as they carved their "code" into pieces wood, metal and other materials instead of uploading it onto microcontrollers like many makers do now. The karakuri is, by definition, a robot, but it is a robot that uses no electricity, and instead of using code as its instructions, it uses a series of mechanical processes to react to its physical environment.

View the Gakken Karakuri Tea Serving Robot in the Maker Shed.

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December 12, 2008

Ballparks by Major League Models...

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Ballparks by Major League Models via BoJ.

Major League Models creates the world's finest "made-to-order" replicas of your favorite ballparks. Our incredible scale sizes yield museum-grade showpieces that consistently turn heads and bring favorite memories to the foreground. Ballparks begin with meticulous research utilizing blueprints, photos, and drawings. Ballparks are hand-crafted by renowned ballpark artist Steve Wolf with contributions from specialty artists to yield a unique three-dimensional art treasure. Over 1,800 hours of artistry are required to produce a single, one-of-a-kind gem.

December 9, 2008

Made in Japan Gift Guide

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In covering DIY technology from Japan, there have been quite a few kits and projects that have come along that would be of interest to makers outside of Japan, but are either not available for overseas ordering, or are available but may be subject to high shipping costs and long waits. Luckily, one very consistent source of excitement in the world of DIY kits and resources in Japan is Gakken, the publishers of magazine Otona no Kagaku (Sophisticated Science for Adults), and in addition to their magazine that includes a new DIY kit with each issue, they also produce a wonderful line of stand-alone kits. Lucky for residents of the US, the Maker Shed is proud to be the exclusive US distributor of Gakken's line of Sophisticated Science Kits for Adults, as well as their Mechanical Animals Series, thus saving you, the maker, from exorbitant overseas shipping rates and unbearable overseas shipping wait times. Gakken's kits provide the perfect mix of DIY, science, and history as they entertain as well as educate.

Below is an extended list of the Gakken kits that we have in the Maker Shed with descriptions of each item. You may have seen some of these items such as the hack-loving SX-150 Analog Synthesizer and the Mini-Theremin on the Make Blog before, but this list also includes some of the lesser-known gems like the Gravity Clock, the Stereo Pinhole Camera, and the New Edison-style Phonograph. Check 'em out:

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December 4, 2008

More From Make: Tokyo Meeting 02

Following up on the previous post covering Make: Tokyo Meeting 02, here are more photos and info from this event. This time there were over 60 presenters and over 1,200 people in attendance (twice as many makers and guests as the first Make: Tokyo Meeting). This time the meeting featured makers from Tokyo and beyond, showing a growth in the event as well as the DIY community that Make: Japan seeks to bring together.

The Make: Tokyo meetings, although in their early stages, are quickly becoming one of the premiere arenas for makers in Japan to display their creations. Because there are relatively few other arenas for makers to display their work in a large, interactive setting, it will no doubt continue to be an attraction for creative people in Japan and beyond.

The event was kicked off with an opening speech by sci-fi novelist H. Nojiri on the future of DIY. Throughout the day there were a total of 18 presentations at ~20 minutes each, as well as full-on workshops on Arduino, electronics for crafters (using Craft's Fashioning Technology book), and LED Throwies, as well as many other mini-workshops conducted at the maker booths. MTM 02 also featured a Making Things Talk publication panel discussion by Shigeru Kobayashi, A. Kubota, and Takumi Funada. This panel coincided with the very recent publication of the Japanese translation of Making Things Talk. Appropriately, the event showcased a lot of work by students from site hosts Tama Art University, IAMAS, etc. who utilized physical computing technology such as Arduino and Gainer in their projects.

This Make Meeting also saw the presence of more craft-related makers.

"Don't sit on me!"

The Teslasizer (Tesla Coil + Synthesizer), made by high school student Hidehito Kikuchi.

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November 26, 2008

Human puppet is triggered by impulses

This researcher connected a bunch of electrodes to his face to stimulate his nerves and tendons causing him to become a human puppet for the duration of this video. Although we don't conduone this type of thing here at Make, it's still pretty amusing to watch.

via Suicide Bots

November 20, 2008

Make Tokyo Meeting 02

MAKE: Tokyo Meeting 02 was held on 11/8 at Tokyo's Tama Art University, and the MAKE: Japan events just keep getting bigger, better, and wonderfully wilder. Here are a few highlights gleaned from the massive influx of pictures, video, and bloggings that this event inspired.

Here's a video featuring four particularly awesome things from the meeting:
・Make: hat
・Air canon
・iPhone radio-controlled model car
・Homemade tank

Click through to see more!

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November 11, 2008

LED Blinking Tote Bags - 8tote at Make: Tokyo Meeting 02

These Dia de los Muertos-style tote bags with blinking skull eyes were shown at the latest Make: Japan event, the Make: Tokyo Meeting 02 held at Tama Art University. 8tote (or "Mitsubachi Tote" in Japanese) made these tote bags using the LilyPad Arduino with great success. They describe the experience quite adorably on their blog:

We made our bags controlled with LilyPad Arduino (kawaii microcontroller board designed for wearables and e-textiles), we were enjoying to succeed blinking our products.

Check out a video:
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More stuff from Make: Tokyo Meeting 02 coming soon, stay tuned for more fun!

November 4, 2008

Ready-to-assemble plastic model rings

Plaring
Plaring08
PingMag has an interview with folks behind these clever plastic model ring kits from Japan!

A couple of weeks ago we checked out the rooms No.17 fair, just opposite of our office in Yoyogi Stadium, and were happy to discover tons of great fashion items. Have a look at the plastic gem we found! Plaring by the Clunky Design quartet from Shibuya, is a do-it-yourself plastic ring kit. It’s playful, much like futuristic anime accessories and, above all, is so Japanese! (And you can get a kit from us here!) Today, PingMag pieced one together with Plaring’s director Kenta Ochiai and creative director Hironori Sato.

October 30, 2008

The amazing Bickford, disposable razor robot!

The amazing Bickford, a disposable razor robot - over 8,000 hours of construction time, 219 drawings, 5 gearhead motors, 96 feet of copper wire, 2,120 disposable razors and weighing 43lbs. On display at Ripley' in Branson, Missouri.

October 27, 2008

Made in Japan - 10/27/08

This week:
The Parts Case That Tells You Where Your Resistors Go, The Art of Plastic Food Displays, Musical Staircase (and Secret Hacks), The Anywhere Desktop, Turning Everyday Actions Into Their Value in Batteries, Aeolian Harp - Stringed Instrument Played by Wind, Hatsune Miku Dances via ARToolkit, Gray Water Hand Washing Toilet Hack, Death Star Surface Block Mod, Chatting While Wrapped in Your Own Words.
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October 24, 2008

Chopstick octopus

Octopus made from chopsticks (video above) and check out the site... via Buzzfeed.

October 20, 2008

Made in Japan - 10/20/08

This week:
Rokuro, Slow-Motion/Fast Motion Camera Tricks, World's Simplest Motor? The Walking iPhone Robot, Twitch! Electric Shocks to the Face, D.V.D., The Knitted Reverse Face Mask.

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