Sightseeing in Second Life Japan #2

Last time I went Sightseeing in Second Life Japan, I showed you Kumamoto Castle, Osaka Castle and Tokyo Tower. This time, Aleister Kronos pointed out that a faithful reproduction of Himeji Castle is under construction.  Himeji Castle is part of Japan’s great cultural heritage located around 650 kilometers west of Tokyo. The castle is nicknamed “White Heron” because of its white plaster walls, plaster being a useful safeguard against fire in […]

Millions of Old Japanese TVs Recycled

Today is Blog Action Day, and this year over 14,000 bloggers are discussing environmental issues with a combined audience of over 12 million people. That’s a lot of people. Now, imagine all those people lining up to recycle their old analog TVs, and you’ve got the topic of my contribution to this Blog Action Day. What will happen to old TV sets? By 2011, Japan will have phased out terrestrial […]

Sightseeing in Second Life Japan

The virtual reality world of Second Life is full of clubs, bars, beaches and bedrooms in which people interact in all manner of virtual ways and even positions, but there is more to Second Life than its “in your face” seedy side. I decided to go searching for some of Japan’s famous landmarks to see if they had been recreated in the 3D world. Here are a few pictures of […]

Trying to Drive in Japan #2

Japan, like most developed countries, has so many laws and rules to abide by that I find it all quite suffocating. I previously wrote about the ridiculous number of traffic lights in Japan, and since I’m driving for an hour and a half every day I can’t help but get frustrated, and a frustrated driver is not a safe driver. So let me get this straight. Traffic lights are there to prevent […]